Pitch speed – 17 years old Baseball
Baseball · Pitch speed · 17 years old
Average 82.0 mph (industry reference; we’ll use live CoachBall data as we grow)
Data updated February 22, 2026
Based on industry reference data for now. We’ll switch to live CoachBall data as more measurements come in.
Metric definition
Pitch speed: ball speed at release (mph). Refers to fastball pitch speed unless stated otherwise.
Percentile distribution
Percentile distribution (P25–P90)
P25: 25% of players are below this speed. P50 (median): half are faster, half slower. P75: 25% are above this speed. P90: top 10%.
Average by age
Average Pitch speed by age
Percentile distribution
| Metric | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | 76.0 | 82.0 | 88.0 | 92.0 |
Methodology
These benchmarks are currently based on industry reference datasets. We will progressively replace them with aggregated CoachBall measurements once each (sport, metric, age) group reaches a sufficient sample size.
Values are grouped by sport (baseball/softball), metric (e.g. pitch speed, exit velocity), and player age. Reference sources are listed below. As CoachBall collects more measurements, each group will switch to live data automatically.
Reference sources
The following industry sources were used as reference data for these benchmarks. Where applicable, key datapoints are cited.
-
Axe et al. (2014) — Youth baseball maximum pitch speed by age (peer-reviewed)
(2014)
Key datapoints: USA age 10: 46.1, age 12: 50.4, age 14: 60.4 · International age 10: 51.8, age 12: 59.1, age 14: 69.1
-
Driveline Baseball — Youth player development velocity aging curves
(2021)
Key datapoints: 12U average fastball ~55 mph (middle of the pack in academy sample)
Frequently asked questions
- What is a good pitch speed for my age?
- Benchmarks vary by age and sport. Use the table above to see the average and percentile distribution (P25, P50, P75, P90) for your age group. Top performers often sit near or above P75.
- Where does this data come from?
- These benchmarks are currently based on industry reference datasets (see sources below). As CoachBall collects more measurements, we will progressively replace reference values with aggregated live data.
- How often is the data updated?
- Benchmarks are refreshed regularly as new measurements are added. The "Data updated" date on each page shows the last refresh.
- Can I compare my own player to these benchmarks?
- Yes. Sign up for CoachBall to track your players and see how they compare to these benchmarks over time, with percentiles and trends.
- Why is there no data for some ages?
- Reference data is available for ages 10–18. Some age groups may not appear if no reliable industry reference data exists for that combination of sport and metric.
- What do P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?
- These are percentiles that show how a value compares to the full group. P25 means 25% of players are at or below this speed — it's the lower end of typical. P50 is the median: exactly half of players are faster, half are slower. P75 means only 25% of players are faster — this is a strong benchmark to aim for. P90 means only 10% are faster — this is elite level. For example, if P75 for your age is 68 mph, that means you're faster than 75% of players measured if you throw 68 mph or more.
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