Lighting up radar gun Joyce has thrown 21 of his 22 major-league pitches at over 100 mph, per Taylor Blake Ward of AngelsWin.com. Impact Joyce's spectacular velocity is no secret -- his fastball was clocked as high as 105 mph in college before the Angels took him in the third round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. He struggled to harness control of the pitch at the Double-A level this season, walking 14 batters over 15.2 innings, but the Angels nonetheless fast-tracked him to the majors with a call-up Sunday. Joyce has shown huge promise in his first two games as a big-leaguer, posting a 4:0 K:BB over two scoreless frames. On Thursday, he fanned both Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, each on three pitches, with all of the offerings being four-seam fastballs that clocked in at 101 or 102 mph. The Angels are set at closer this season with Carlos Estevez pitching well, but Joyce could see plenty of high-leverage work if he can continue to limit walks. The fireballer has the makings of a future closer, though he has some fantasy value even if he's not getting save chances due to his potential to rack up strikeouts in bunches.
JUNE 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE