20+2⁄3 innings pitched. [5] Joyce and his brother committed to transfer to Tennessee to continue their college careers. [6] Joyce tore the ulnar collateral ligament during a fall practice and had Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss his first season at Tennessee. [2] In his first healthy season at Tennessee as a redshirt junior, Joyce gained national attention for regularly throwing his fastball over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), reaching as high as 104 miles per hour (167 km/h). [7] [8] On May 1, 2022, he threw the fastest recorded pitch in the history of college baseball with a 105.5 miles per hour (169.8 km/h) fastball. [9] [10] Joyce finished the season with a 2.23 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 32+1⁄3 innings pitched over 27 appearances. [11]
The Los Angeles Angels selected Joyce in the third round in the 2022 MLB draft. [12] He signed with the Angels on July 22, 2022, and received a $1 million signing bonus. [13] Joyce was assigned to the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas to start his professional career. [14] In Joyce's first professional game, he gave up four hits and two earned runs with a strikeout in one inning of relief pitching. [15] He finished his first professional season at 1–0 with a 2.08 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and a save in 13 appearances. [16]
In 2023, the Angels invited Joyce to spring training as a non-roster invitee. [17] In 14 appearances, he registered a 4.60 ERA with 24 strikeouts and four saves in 15+2⁄3 innings pitched. On May 28, 2023, Joyce was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. [18] He made his major league debut the following day against the Chicago White Sox, pitching a scoreless inning in relief with two strikeouts. [19] After 5 appearances, he was placed on the injured list with ulnar neuritis on June 10. [20] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on July 27. [21] Joyce was activated from the injured list on September 10. [22] In 12 relief outings during his rookie campaign, he posted a 5.40 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 10 innings.
Joyce was optioned to Double–A Rocket City to begin the 2024 season. [23] On June 2, 2024, Joyce was recalled by the Angels. [24] On August 3, during a game against the New York Mets, Joyce struck out J. D. Martinez on a 104.7-mile-per-hour (168.5 km/h) fastball to get his first-ever save. It was the fastest strike-out pitch to be thrown in MLB since at least 2008, [25] and the sixth-fastest pitch thrown since 2009. [26] On September 3, Joyce struck out Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman on a 105.5-mile-per-hour (169.8 km/h) fastball. [27] Joyce was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 10, 2024, with the Angels announcing he would be shut down for the rest of the 2024 season. He finished the year with a 2-0 record and four saves with a 2.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 34+2⁄3 innings pitched. [28]
Joyce's twin brother, Zach, played with Ben at Tennessee and was also selected by the Angels, going in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB draft. [29]
| Ben Joyce | |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Angels – No. 44 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:September 17, 2000 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 29, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels |