Los Angeles Angels Fireballer prospect Ben Joyce (23) showed off his presence in his big league debut.
Joyce made his major league debut on the 30th (hereinafter Korean time) in an away game against the Chicago White Sox held at Guaranteed Late Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Joyce, who took the mound as the second pitcher in the 7th inning behind starter Griffin Canning (3 runs in 6 innings), recorded his first hold in his debut with 1 inning, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts and no runs.안전놀이터
Joyce, who took the mound with a 4-3 lead in the 7th inning, threw a sinker at 102 miles per hour (approximately 164.2 km) from the first pitch. Joyce, who allowed the first hit while throwing a cutter on the third pitch to first batter Andrew Vaughn, struck out Gavin Sheets on a swing in four pitches, recording his first strikeout in the big leagues. Romi Gonzalos also struck out on a miss in four pitches, boosting his momentum. Against Yasmani Grandal, he finished the inning by throwing a sinker with a speed of 102.2 miles per hour (about 164.5 km), the fastest of the day, with a floating ball in left field at the first pitch.
Joyce displayed an aggressive pitch in his debut, throwing 12 pitches and catching 10 strikes. He threw 11 pitches as a sinker, excluding the 89.3 miles per hour (about 143.7 km) cutter that allowed a hit, and the average velocity was a whopping 101.3 miles per hour (about 163 km).
Joyce wasn’t a fastball pitcher to begin with. He threw a fastball in the mid-90s at Walters State Community College, but after transferring to Tennessee and undergoing Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation, his velocity increased. Joyce, who returned from rehabilitation in 2022 and started throwing fastballs exceeding 100 miles per hour, attracted attention by recording the highest speed of 105.5 miles (about 169.8 km) in a match with Auburn University.
Joyce, who was selected by the Angels in the 2022 draft with the 89th overall pick in the third round, proved his talent in Double-A last year with a 2.08 ERA, 1 win, 4 holds and 1 save in 13 games and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. Joyce, who started this year at Double-A, had an ERA of 4.60 with 1 loss, 1 hold and 4 saves in 14 games before his call-up. He was disappointing with 18 walks (5 walks and 13 walks) in 15⅔ innings, but he struck out 24 and showed overwhelming strikeout ability with 13.79 strikeouts per 9 innings. Joyce, who was originally expected to make his major league debut in the 2024 season, was called up faster than he thought and showed pitching that lived up to expectations in his debut match.
According to MLB.com, before Joyce’s debut that day, his parents, his twin brother, girlfriend and their families visited the stadium. “I felt a lot more comfortable than I thought. I just went out and trusted my stuff and threw a strike and it worked out. It felt amazing,” Joyce said of his big league debut.