A softball pitch traveling at 65 mph crosses the plate at 61 mph. A baseball fastball traveling at 91.45 mph crosses the plate at 85 mph. Softballs are slower than balls used in baseball because they are made of rubber and have holes where air is allowed to escape while they're being pitched.
The speed difference between the two sports' balls leads to different strategies when batting against them. Pitchers work to achieve a speed differential with their bats so that they can throw harder and get more distance on their pitches. Batsmen try to keep up with the faster ball by hitting it hard themselves. This article explains the differences between baseball and softball and highlights some of the specific challenges each sport's batters face.
Overall, baseball is a faster game than softball because pitchers need to work harder to achieve the same results as they would in softball. Batsmen have more opportunities to hit home runs in baseball because there's more room out in front of the park to hit missiles toward. However, they also have more chances to get beat out at the plate because players can use all fields in softball. Despite these differences, both sports are very similar in many ways. They are both divided into seasons of roughly 162 games per year with each team going up against each other twice during that time.
A softball can reach home plate faster than a baseball due to the distance difference. The average pitch speed in college softball may range from 59 to 64 mph, but in college baseball, the average pitch speed can range from 80 to 95 mph, contributing to its velocity. In addition, the size difference between the ball and strike zones contributes to the speed of the game.
In high school softball, the average pitch speed is around 70-75 mph, while in high school baseball it's around 90-95 mph. This shows that a softball is more sped up than a baseball.
In professional softball, the average pitch speed is around 85-90 mph, while in pro baseball it's around 105-110 mph.
When comparing softball to baseball, they are both thrown fast but with different speeds because the balls are different sizes. A softball is more sped up than a baseball because it is smaller so it goes faster when it reaches the plate.
Pitch speeds are measured as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand and are shown on TV and at the ballpark. By the time a pitch reaches the plate, it has lost around 10% of its speed. So a 95 MPH fastball would pass the plate at around 85.5 MPH, an 87 MPH slider would cross the plate at approximately 78 MPH, and so on.
The actual speed that a ball travels across the plate is called "batting speed". This depends on many factors such as the type of pitch, the location on the plate, etc. But for practical purposes, you can assume that balls hit at 90 MPH or faster will be hits, while those traveling slower than 80 MPH usually aren't.
It's important to understand that batting speed varies depending on how the ball is treated by the batter. If the batter treats the ball like a strike, then he or she is going after balls with high speeds. On the other hand, if the batter looks for low pitches, they are looking for anything that won't make it to the catcher quickly. In general, hitters try to find the middle ground between finding something fast and trying to pull everything. This means that they will often go after balls that are somewhere in the range of 80-90 MPH.
Keep in mind that a 74 MPH pitch at 43 feet is significantly faster than a 100 MPH baseball pitch launched from 60 feet distant... average softball throwing speed by age
| Age | Average Pitching Speeds | High-end Averages |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 49 – 54 MPH | 55 – 60 MPH |
| 16 | 51 – 55 MPH | 56 – 62 MPH |
| 17 | 52 – 56 MPH | 57 – 65 MPH |
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