Pitching Velocity by Age: Percentile Checker

Pitching velocity by age chart

Here's where the checker's numbers sit for every age group. The typical range is the middle half of pitchers his age, the 25th to 75th percentile, and the middle of it is average. Anything past the top of the range is above average for his age. Run his number through the checker above for an exact percentile.

What his velocity percentile means

The percentile is the share of pitchers his age he throws harder than, by our estimate. A 65th percentile result means he out-throws about 65 of every 100 pitchers in his age group. Under the 25th is below the typical range. The 25th to 75th is the typical range, where the middle half of kids his age land, with the 50th right at average. Above the 75th is above average, and from the 90th up is well above. None of those labels measure talent or ceiling. A below-range number at youth ages usually points to growth timing, a delivery that leaks speed, or both. A high number changes the job from adding mph to protecting the arm that produces them.

How the percentile is estimated

Each age group is built on five anchor points, the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles, and the 25th to 75th match the typical ranges compiled from published youth, travel, and high-school velocity data. Your pitcher's speed is placed between the two nearest points. Ages are grouped in two-year bands from 9 through 18, and any speed past the top anchor shows as the 99th percentile. Radar guns and phone apps can disagree by 3 to 4 mph on the same pitch, and two kids the same age can be years apart in physical development, so treat every result as a well-informed ballpark rather than a verdict.

Why kids the same age throw so differently

Age is only a rough stand-in for physical maturity, and two kids the same age can be years apart physically. The checker also groups ages in two-year bands, so a young 11 and an old 12 are measured against the same curve, and a rec league arm and a travel ball arm are compared to the same numbers. Keep that in mind before reading too much into one result. A below-range number says nothing about his talent or his ceiling. The comparison that actually tells you something is him against himself: this spring against last spring, measured the same way. Compare him to himself, not to the kid on Instagram.

Radar speed vs mound distance

Enter his speed exactly as the radar gun or app showed it. The checker compares raw readings by age, so there's nothing to convert first. Mound distance does change what the hitter sees, though. A 60 mph fastball from a 46 foot Little League mound gives the hitter about as much time to react as a 79 mph fastball from 60 feet 6 inches. That's why a hard thrower can look overpowering on a small field. The converted number describes the hitter's reaction time. It says nothing about how hard he would throw from a longer mound, so it never goes in the checker. Our pitch speed converter does the reaction-time math for any speed and distance.

How to get a velocity reading worth checking

A percentile is only as good as the number you type in. Radar guns and phone apps can disagree by 3 to 4 mph on the same pitch, and in the middle of every age range 4 mph is worth about 20 percentile points. So a few habits matter. Use the same device from the same spot every time. Let him warm up fully before you measure, because a half-warm arm reads low and pushing for a number before he's loose is a bad trade. Enter a fastball he can repeat, and leave out the one lucky pitch. Then check a few times a year instead of every bullpen. A kid chasing the gun on every throw starts overthrowing, and that usually costs him speed and strikes.

Above the range? Protect the arm first

A high percentile is good news, and it changes the job. When a young pitcher throws harder than his peers, his arm absorbs more force than theirs does, so the goal shifts from adding mph to checking that his legs, hips, and torso are carrying their share of the work. The hard throwers who last usually have clean mechanics and a sensible workload behind them. Follow the pitch count and rest rules for his age every time, even on days he says he feels fine. If his arm hurts, he stops throwing and sees a doctor. Never trade a healthy arm for a number.

The number is the starting point, not the story

Velocity comes from the delivery: legs, hips, torso, and arm firing in order. When that sequence runs cleanly, energy stacks up and the ball jumps. When it runs out of order, even slightly, a pitcher leaks speed he already has, and no chart can see that. If every pitch looks like max effort, energy is usually leaking somewhere in the delivery. Smooth is fast. That's why the most useful next step after checking a percentile is a coach-reviewed video evaluation of the delivery itself, which PitchSequence provides free from one short phone video.

Common questions

How accurate is this velocity percentile?

It's an estimate built from published velocity ranges for each age group, good enough to tell you whether a pitcher is below, within, or above the typical range for his age. In the middle of each age range, 4 mph is worth about 20 percentile points, so a reading that runs a little hot or cold can move the result noticeably. Consumer radar readings vary by a few mph, so small percentile differences aren't meaningful. Large ones are.

What is a good pitching speed for my son's age?

Typical ranges: 40 to 50 mph at ages 9 to 10, 50 to 60 at 11 to 12, 60 to 70 at 13 to 14, 70 to 80 at 15 to 16, and 75 to 85 at 17 to 18. Being below the range usually reflects growth timing or mechanical inefficiency, not talent or ceiling.

Is 50 mph good for a 10 year old?

Yes. In the 9 to 10 group, 50 mph sits at the 75th percentile, the top of the typical 40 to 50 mph range, and about 45 mph is average. If he's under 40, the usual reasons are growth timing or a delivery that leaks speed. Neither says anything about his talent.

Is 60 mph good for a 12 year old?

Yes. For 11 and 12 year olds the typical range is 50 to 60 mph with about 55 average, so 60 mph lands right at the 75th percentile. Wide spreads are normal at this age because kids grow at very different times.

Is 70 mph good for a 14 year old?

Yes. In the 13 to 14 group, 70 mph sits at the 75th percentile, the top of the typical 60 to 70 mph range, and about 65 mph is average. At that speed the priority is an efficient delivery and smart workload. Squeezing out more can wait. Never trade a healthy arm for a number.

Is 80 mph good for a 16 year old?

It's a strong number. For 15 and 16 year olds the typical range, the middle half, is 70 to 80 mph with about 75 average, so 80 mph sits at the 75th percentile, the top of the typical range, and 81 and up is above average. Half of all pitchers that age sit outside the typical range by definition, so the trend in his own numbers, measured the same way each time, matters more than any single reading.

How do I measure pitching speed at home?

A pocket radar or a radar phone app works fine for tracking progress. Measure a few times a year under similar conditions and watch the trend rather than any single reading.

My son is below the range for his age. Should I be worried?

No. At youth ages a below-range number usually means he's earlier on his growth curve, or his delivery is leaking velocity he already has. Growth arrives on its own schedule; the delivery can be evaluated and improved now. A frame-by-frame video evaluation shows exactly where speed is being lost.

More free pitching tools

• Video Pitch Speed Calculator: no radar gun needed
• Pitch Speed Converter
• Pitch Count Calculator
• Baseball Field Dimensions

Velocity guides

• Average pitching speed by age
• How hard high school pitchers throw, by grade
• How to measure pitching velocity
• Why isn't my son throwing harder?

The chart tells you where he is. Video tells you why.

Velocity comes from the delivery: legs, hips, torso, arm, in that order. A coach-reviewed video evaluation shows exactly where his is helping him and where it's holding him back. Free, from one short phone video.