Article by: Rio Murakami

Shintaro Fujinami is the fastest 165km Japanese in the majors! A total of 9 ball strikes & 6 pitches over 160kg

Orioles pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, 29, set the fastest Japanese speed in the majors in his home game against the Mets. All nine of his pitches against the three core players were strikes, and six of them exceeded 100 mph (about 160.9 km/h). The fastest speed was 102.6 mph (about 165.1 km/h), the fastest since coming to the U.S. It was his first hold since joining the Orioles.

With a 2-0 lead in the 8th inning, he came in to relief as the 4th pitcher. Alonso and Stewart both struck out on three pitches in the fourth. The game pitch to Stewart was a 102.6 mph fastball, his fastest, and he struck out swinging. No. 5 Narvaez was also shut down with a 102.3 mph fastball from two strikes.

Since 2015, when video analysis Statscast was introduced, Fujinami and the Angels have measured over 100 mph (about 160.9 km/h) in the majors in Japan. Only pitcher Shohei Ohtani (29) has. Ohtani's fastest was actually measured by the Astros 101.4 mph (about 163.2 km/h) on September 10, 2022.

Fujinami has already measured 92 pitches over 100 mph in his first year in the majors, with seven of them exceeding 102 mph (about 164.1 km/h). The fastest he has ever hit was 102.1 mph on two pitches.