Ben Joyce

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #6 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Joyce spent two seasons at Walters State (Tenn.) JC before transferring to Tennessee. Growth-plate issues, arm injuries and the pandemic limited him to just five appearances from 2019-21. Returning from Tommy John surgery in 2022, Joyce averaged 101 mph, touched 105 and stayed healthy enough to strike out 53 in 32.1 innings and be drafted by the Angels in the third round. He missed bats in his pro debut in Double-A and did much of the same for the first two months of 2023 before earning a May 29 callup. Suffering ulnar neuritis after five appearances with the Angels, he spent three months on the injured list before returning in September.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce has unicorn-like velocity with a fastball that averaged 100.8 mph in MLB in 2023 and surpassed 103 multiple times. His fastball can flatten when not properly executed but shows armside run down in the zone and is hard to barrel in the upper quadrants. The pitch plays up from Joyce’s low three-quarters arm slot. His fastball usage hovers around 80%, with the remainder going to a hard-sweeping slider that flashes plus in the mid-to-upper 80s with a peak of 90 mph. Joyce’s feel for his slider has improved with an ability to front-door righthanded hitters, but his offspeed command is well below-average. He generally works around the zone but will never be much of a strike-thrower. His premier stuff would fit as a closer, but to reach that designation he will have to show durability enough to pitch on back-to-back days, which he has not done as a collegian or a pro.
  
  The Future: Joyce has top-of-the-scale velocity that would fit in a closing role, but he will have to throw more strikes and remain healthy to be an impact reliever. He is ready for a full season in Anaheim.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 80 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #10 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: No college pitcher has had a cult following quite like Joyce in 2022. He grew eight inches after high school and attended Walters State (Tenn.) JC to start his college career before transferring to Tennessee. He missed the 2021 season after having Tommy John surgery but returned in 2022 and set modern records for fastball velocity out of the bullpen. Joyce averaged 101 mph and touched 105.5 to become a staple of Pitching Ninja GIFs on Twitter. The Angels drafted him in the third round and signed him for $997,500. Joyce jumped straight to Double-A while gaining a more conventional workload from his once-a-week college regimen.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce has a top-of-the scale fastball with elite velocity. His fastball sits 98-102 mph and has repeatedly reached 104-105, though not always for strikes. His fastball features armside run out of his low three-quarters arm slot and will occasionally sail on him. It also flattens out sometimes. Joyce dominates with his fastball when he's on and leans on it heavily, throwing it more than 80% of the time. He complements it with a hard, sweeping slider that flashes plus in the mid 80s, but it's a chase pitch he struggles to command or land in the strike zone. Joyce has worked with different slider grips to try to improve his feel and comfortability. He also has a fringy changeup that is not a significant part of his arsenal. Tall and strong at 6-foot-5, Joyce has little track record prior to 2022 and will have to prove he can maintain his premium stuff pitching regularly over a full professional season.
  
  The Future: Joyce's velocity could play in the majors immediately, but the Angels will continue developing his offspeed pitches and command to make him a more impactful reliever. He has a chance to make his big league debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 80. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #103 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Tennessee Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.8
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: - | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: | Control: 50
  Joyce hit a growth spurt that saw him grow 8 inches during his high school senior year. He touched 100 mph that spring. Four years later, he’s the hardest throwing college pitcher ever. Joyce touched 105 mph on multiple occasions this year and topped out at 105.5. He sat at 101 mph with a four-seamer that proved hittable at the lower end of his velocity range. His plus-plus slider may be a better pitch than his plus-plus fastball. It’s already hard (83-86 mph) with plenty of sweep. Only two batters put the slider in play during the regular season, although it’s currently a chase pitch he doesn’t throw for strikes. With two of the best pitches in the class, he’s probably the most famous pitcher not expected to go in the first round. The track record for highly drafted college relievers is extremely poor, and Joyce’s usage patterns at Tennessee give teams few insights into whether he can handle a pro workload. Joyce pitched on back-to-back days only once during the regular season and generally had three-to-four days between outings. Thanks to the pandemic and Tommy John surgery, Joyce has thrown roughly 50 innings since 2019.
• Ranked #318 prospect in 2020 draft
  A 6-foot-6, 225-pound righthander with an electric fastball, Joyce was talked about frequently last fall after scouts saw him run his fastball up to 97 mph. A redshirt freshman at Walters State (Tenn.) JC, Joyce is committed to Tennessee, along with his twin brother Zach, who’s rehabbing from injury. Joyce’s stuff is impressive, but his lack of performance and scatter-shot control could allow him to end up on campus in Knoxville. In five starts and 20.2 innings this spring, Joyce posted a 4.79 ERA and struck out 35 batters (15.2 per nine) but also walked 14 (six per nine). That control leads scouts to see Joyce as a reliever, with an impact fastball that some saw as high as 98 mph. Joyce shows an above-average curveball at times, though it’s inconsistent, and an average changeup.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: No college pitcher has had a cult following quite like Joyce in 2022. He grew eight inches after high school and attended Walters State (Tenn.) JC to start his college career before transferring to Tennessee. He missed the 2021 season after having Tommy John surgery but returned in 2022 and set modern records for fastball velocity out of the bullpen. Joyce averaged 101 mph and touched 105.5 to become a staple of Pitching Ninja GIFs on Twitter. The Angels drafted him in the third round and signed him for $997,500. Joyce jumped straight to Double-A while gaining a more conventional workload from his once-a-week college regimen.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce has a top-of-the scale fastball with elite velocity. His fastball sits 98-102 mph and has repeatedly reached 104-105, though not always for strikes. His fastball features armside run out of his low three-quarters arm slot and will occasionally sail on him. It also flattens out sometimes. Joyce dominates with his fastball when he's on and leans on it heavily, throwing it more than 80% of the time. He complements it with a hard, sweeping slider that flashes plus in the mid 80s, but it's a chase pitch he struggles to command or land in the strike zone. Joyce has worked with different slider grips to try to improve his feel and comfortability. He also has a fringy changeup that is not a significant part of his arsenal. Tall and strong at 6-foot-5, Joyce has little track record prior to 2022 and will have to prove he can maintain his premium stuff pitching regularly over a full professional season.
  
  The Future: Joyce's velocity could play in the majors immediately, but the Angels will continue developing his offspeed pitches and command to make him a more impactful reliever. He has a chance to make his big league debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 80. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: No college pitcher has had a cult following quite like Joyce in 2022. He grew eight inches after high school and attended Walters State (Tenn.) JC to start his college career before transferring to Tennessee. He missed the 2021 season after having Tommy John surgery but returned in 2022 and set modern records for fastball velocity out of the bullpen. Joyce averaged 101 mph and touched 105.5 to become a staple of Pitching Ninja GIFs on Twitter. The Angels drafted him in the third round and signed him for $997,500. Joyce jumped straight to Double-A while gaining a more conventional workload from his once-a-week college regimen.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce has a top-of-the scale fastball with elite velocity. His fastball sits 98-102 mph and has repeatedly reached 104-105, though not always for strikes. His fastball features armside run out of his low three-quarters arm slot and will occasionally sail on him. It also flattens out sometimes. Joyce dominates with his fastball when he's on and leans on it heavily, throwing it more than 80% of the time. He complements it with a hard, sweeping slider that flashes plus in the mid 80s, but it's a chase pitch he struggles to command or land in the strike zone. Joyce has worked with different slider grips to try to improve his feel and comfortability. He also has a fringy changeup that is not a significant part of his arsenal. Tall and strong at 6-foot-5, Joyce has little track record prior to 2022 and will have to prove he can maintain his premium stuff pitching regularly over a full professional season.
  
  The Future: Joyce's velocity could play in the majors immediately, but the Angels will continue developing his offspeed pitches and command to make him a more impactful reliever. He has a chance to make his big league debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 80. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  August Update: Joyce hit a growth spurt that saw him grow 8 inches during his high school senior year. He touched 100 mph that spring. Four years later, he&#39s the hardest throwing college pitcher ever. Joyce touched 105 mph on multiple occasions this year and topped out at 105.5. He sat at 101 mph with a four-seamer that proved hittable at the lower end of his velocity range. His plus-plus slider may be a better pitch than his plus-plus fastball. It&#39s already hard (83-86 mph) with plenty of sweep. Only two batters put the slider in play during the regular season, although it&#39s currently a chase pitch he doesn&#39t throw for strikes. With two of the best pitches in the class, he&#39s probably the most famous pitcher not expected to go in the first round. The track record for highly drafted college relievers is extremely poor, and Joyce&#39s usage patterns at Tennessee give teams few insights into whether he can handle a pro workload. Joyce pitched on back-to-back days only once during the regular season and generally had three-to-four days between outings. Thanks to the pandemic and Tommy John surgery, Joyce has thrown roughly 50 innings since 2019.