Average pitching velocity by age
Parents and coaches often ask how hard a pitcher "should" throw at a given age. Below are published four-seam averages from Rapsodo, from age 10 through college and the professional row in the same guide, plus a short note on year-to-year gains from Driveline. These are averages from those datasets, not targets.
Read this first. Averages hide a wide spread. Rapsodo says its data comes from pitches captured on its technology, and academy or showcase samples can skew high. Driveline's rates come from its own academy athletes, not a rec-league census. Do not push a young arm to chase a chart. Stay inside MLB and USA Baseball Pitch Smart limits. We already wrote why one-size charts mislead in age-appropriate velocity.
Four-seam averages by age (Rapsodo)
Rapsodo publishes a Baseball Pitching Averages by Age Guide (PDF). The table copies the four-seam SPEED (MPH) averages as printed for right-handed (RHP) and left-handed (LHP) pitchers. We re-checked the PDF on Nov 11, 2026.
| Age or level | RHP four-seam (mph) | LHP four-seam (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 54 | 54 |
| 11 | 61 | 60 |
| 12 | 63 | 62 |
| 13 | 67 | 67 |
| 14 | 72 | 71 |
| 15 | 76 | 75 |
| 16 | 79 | 78 |
| 17 | 81 | 80 |
| 18 | 84 | 82 |
| College | 85 | 83 |
| Pros (Rapsodo) | 89 | 88 |
Source: Rapsodo, Baseball Pitching Averages by Age Guide: PDF · guide page. College rows are also shown in Rapsodo's college averages post, which says the college sample covers junior college through Division I sessions. The "Pros" row is Rapsodo's own professional sample in that guide, not a Statcast league-wide figure.
The same age-10-to-18 four-seam rows also appear on our typical pitch speeds by age (cited chart) page. This page adds the college and pro rows from that same guide, plus the safety and year-to-year notes below.
Year-to-year gains (Driveline, 2021)
Driveline Baseball's Sept 15, 2021 article Youth Baseball Player Development: Velocity Aging Curves describes expected average per-year increases in fastball velocity from its academy athletes: around 5 mph for 9U to 11U players, and around 3 mph for 14U to 16U players. That is a rate of change in their dataset, not a published average-velocity table, and it is not a promise that any one player will gain that much.
Pitch Smart safety note
MLB and USA Baseball publish Pitch Smart guidelines for daily pitch limits and required rest by age. A harder throw is not a reason to ignore those limits. We summarize the limits, with the same official source, in pitch limits for young pitchers.
How to measure, and which age a player is
To take a reading, start with how to measure pitch speed or our best baseball radar guns picks. For Little League eligibility, use the 2027 Little League age chart or the Little League age calculator. To put a short-mound reading in 60.5 ft context, use the pitch speed equivalent calculator.
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Sources (every number)
- Rapsodo, Baseball Pitching Averages by Age Guide (four-seam SPEED mph by age, college and pro, RHP/LHP as printed). Re-checked Nov 11, 2026. Guide · PDF
- Rapsodo, College Baseball Pitching Averages (college four-seam 85 mph RHP / 83 mph LHP; sample described as junior college through Division I).
- Driveline Baseball, David Besky, Youth Baseball Player Development: Velocity Aging Curves (Sept 15, 2021): around 5 mph per year for 9U to 11U and around 3 mph per year for 14U to 16U, from academy athletes.
- MLB / USA Baseball, Pitch Smart pitching guidelines.
FAQ
How fast should a 12-year-old throw?
Rapsodo's published pitching averages by age guide lists a four-seam average of 63 mph for right-handers and 62 mph for left-handers at age 12. That is an average from their dataset, not a target every player should hit.
What is the average college four-seam velocity?
Rapsodo's college averages, from sessions across junior college through Division I, list a four-seam average of 85 mph for right-handers and 83 mph for left-handers.
How much does fastball velocity increase each year?
Driveline's 2021 velocity aging-curves article, based on its academy athletes, describes an expected average per-year increase of around 5 mph for 9U to 11U players and around 3 mph for 14U to 16U players. That is their dataset, not a promise for every player.
Should kids chase these numbers?
No. Rapsodo notes that academy and showcase samples can skew high. Use a radar gun to track one player's progress, and stay within MLB and USA Baseball Pitch Smart pitch limits.
Where do these numbers come from?
The age, college and pro four-seam rows come from Rapsodo's Baseball Pitching Averages by Age Guide PDF, re-checked Nov 11, 2026. The year-to-year gain rates come from Driveline Baseball's Sept 15, 2021 article on velocity aging curves.