Many of the hard - throwing pitchers from the past have been timed on the speed of their pitches .
The record is held by Bob Feller , whose fastball was timed at 98.6 miles per hour in 1946 .
Many of the hard - throwing pitchers from the past have been timed on the speed of their pitches , and the record is held by Bob Feller , whose fastball was timed at 98.6 miles per hour in 1946 .