Player stats

Knuckle curve: Average Speed 2021

Average recorded speed in miles per hour. Only pitches with a usable speed measurement are included. Speed count shows how many were measured. Uses pitches recorded as knuckle curve.

Season

At least 100 pitches of this type with a speed measurement in this season. Recorded pitch types. Usage divides by all delivered pitches, including unknown types. Speed is in mph, spin in rpm and extension in feet. Averages use measured pitches only. Whiffs divide misses by swings. Data through December 31, 2021. Data refreshed Sep 9, 2026, 10:11 AM UTC.

No. 1 / Knuckle curve: Average Speed / 2021

Joe Kelly

LAD

87.1

Season leader

Knuckle curve: Average Speed2021 season
#	Player	Team	KC speed count	Type coverage	KC mph
1	J. KellyJoe Kelly	LAD	305	100.0%	87.1
2	C. KimbrelCraig Kimbrel	CWS	401	97.8%	86.1
3	M. BarnesMatt Barnes	BOS	445	100.0%	85.3
4	G. MárquezGermán Márquez	COL	516	100.0%	85.2
5	J. NelsonJimmy Nelson	LAD	180	100.0%	85.1
6	A. LangeAlex Lange	DET	251	100.0%	84.6
7	D. PomeranzDrew Pomeranz	SD	106	100.0%	84.2
8	L. McCullers Jr.Lance McCullers Jr.	HOU	696	100.0%	84.2
9	G. ColeGerrit Cole	NYY	465	100.0%	83.4
10	S. BieberShane Bieber	CLE	485	100.0%	83.1
11	A. DeSclafaniAnthony DeSclafani	SF	209	100.0%	83.0
12	T. DuffeyTyler Duffey	MIN	495	100.0%	83.0
13	A. CobbAlex Cobb	LAA	251	100.0%	82.9
14	R. RayRobbie Ray	TOR	191	100.0%	82.5
15	B. de GeusBrett de Geus	AZ	174	100.0%	82.3
16	M. MelanconMark Melancon	SD	362	100.0%	82.2
17	V. VelasquezVince Velasquez	SD	291	100.0%	82.0
18	J. LópezJorge López	BAL	513	100.0%	81.9
19	W. DavisWade Davis	KC	151	100.0%	81.9
20	C. HernándezCarlos Hernández	KC	266	100.0%	81.8
21	G. CanningGriffin Canning	LAA	119	100.0%	81.8
22	D. HollandDerek Holland	DET	282	100.0%	81.4
23	C. MizeCasey Mize	DET	157	100.0%	81.3
24	M. MooreMatt Moore	PHI	192	100.0%	80.7
25	C. KuhlChad Kuhl	PIT	160	100.0%	80.5
26	M. MinorMike Minor	KC	411	100.0%	80.4
27	C. StammenCraig Stammen	SD	384	100.0%	80.3
28	K. FreelandKyle Freeland	COL	375	100.0%	80.2
29	W. BuehlerWalker Buehler	LAD	415	100.0%	80.1
30	A. ScrubbAndre Scrubb	HOU	147	100.0%	80.1
31	C. KnebelCorey Knebel	LAD	167	100.0%	79.9
32	D. CeaseDylan Cease	CWS	449	100.0%	79.9
33	Z. GallenZac Gallen	AZ	263	100.0%	79.7
34	T. BauerTrevor Bauer	LAD	200	100.0%	79.6
35	Y. DarvishYu Darvish	SD	105	100.0%	79.5
36	D. SmylyDrew Smyly	ATL	897	100.0%	78.9
37	T. CahillTrevor Cahill	PIT	144	100.0%	78.6
38	N. PivettaNick Pivetta	BOS	568	100.0%	78.5
39	A. NolaAaron Nola	PHI	801	100.0%	78.5
40	D. CoulombeDanny Coulombe	MIN	131	100.0%	78.4
41	B. WorkmanBrandon Workman	BOS	262	100.0%	78.4
42	A. BradleyArchie Bradley	PHI	143	100.0%	78.2
43	J. MeansJohn Means	BAL	381	100.0%	78.0
44	R. StriplingRoss Stripling	TOR	259	100.0%	78.0
45	J. FlahertyJack Flaherty	STL	177	100.0%	76.2
46	B. AndersonBrett Anderson	MIL	195	100.0%	76.0
47	C. JavierCristian Javier	HOU	141	100.0%	75.9
48	A. GomberAustin Gomber	COL	289	100.0%	75.7
49	L. GilbertLogan Gilbert	SEA	132	100.0%	74.9

KC mph: Average recorded speed in miles per hour. Only pitches with a usable speed measurement are included. Speed count shows how many were measured. Uses pitches recorded as knuckle curve.

Understanding Knuckle curve: Average Speed

Average recorded speed in miles per hour. Only pitches with a usable speed measurement are included. Speed count shows how many were measured. Uses pitches recorded as knuckle curve.

Formula: Sum of recorded speeds ÷ pitches with speed measurements

Read rates alongside playing time. A small sample can produce an extreme result, and a missing value is different from zero.

Season rankings use regular-season records. A player has one combined row across teams; the team label identifies the associated team, not a separate team stint.

Source: MLB statistics and MLBDB derived measures. Formulas describe the measure above. Data refreshed Sep 9, 2026, 10:11 AM UTC.