Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Former Tennessee Vols baseball standout Ben Joyce just returned to the major leagues with a strong performance

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Craig Smith | Last updated Jun 6, 2024 2:40 PM ET

Ben Joyce, despite his mind-boggling talent, had his struggles his rookie season, same as any other rookie. Baseball is a humbling sport, and even the best with the most elite talent can struggle when facing the best in the world.

However, the former Tennessee Vols flamethrower, found his way back to the big leagues on Wednesday, and he made the most of his first game back. The talented righty reached 100-plus miles per hour on the gun on every fastball but one, topping out at a blistering 103.3 miles per hour.

Oh, yeah, and he did his job, pitching a scoreless eighth inning to hold the Angels' narrow lead. He managed to force two ground balls and a fly ball to get out of the inning. The Angels would go on to win 3-2.

Think Ben Joyce is amped up to be back in The Show?

The @Angels' No. 4 prospect averages 101.8 mph on 15 heaters over a scoreless frame and maxes out at 103.3, his hardest in the big leagues pic.twitter.com/hJ3ppAboYS
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 6, 2024

Ben Joyce ladies and gentlemen pic.twitter.com/ecVP0k5gvq
— ً (@ClasslessVol) June 6, 2024

It's crazy, but MLB hitters can time up 103 MPH fastballs if they're not well located, or if pitchers aren't throwing their off-speed stuff for strikes. However, Joyce got the first out of the inning Wednesday night on a perfectly located slider that induced a ground ball. That's where he's going to become a successful major leaguer, being able to compliment his fastball with effective off-speed pitches.

In 2023, Joyce, who reportedly threw the fastest recorded pitch in college baseball history for the Vols in 2022, had some issues with command, striking out 10 but walking 9 in 10 innings while posting a 5.40 ERA. He spent time on the big league roster in early June and then again at the end of the season in September after the Angels were eliminated from the postseason.

We'll see if Joyce has progressed to where he can become a key piece of the Angels' bullpen moving forward. There's certainly zero doubt that he has the talent to do it.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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