"Looked unhittable in person" - MLB Twitter witnesses Angels prodigy Ben Joyce making Jose Altuve run for the hills after fiery strikeout

Last week in Chicago, the Los Angeles Angels unveiled Ben Joyce, the newest addition to their bullpen. Originally called up to replace injured reliever Matt Moore, Joyce is enthralling fans with absurdly hard pitches. His first-ever MLB pitch against the White Sox last week clocked in at 102 miles per hour. The 22-year-old Tennessee native's hard-throwing rep precedes his MLB career. The young stud gained traction as a pitcher for UTenn in 2022 after a viral video began to circulate of his cannon-like deliveries. With the Los Angeles Angels currently in Houston to take on the Astros, a bitter divisional foe, Ben Joyce once again got to show off his skills. After Angels starter Reid Detmers was yanked after allowing five runs in four innings, Joyce was one of a succession of relievers who followed. Rob Friedman@PitchingNinjaBen Joyce incinerating Altuve. 7861728Ben Joyce incinerating Altuve. 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/xGBuhQqOvc&quot;Ben Joyce incinerating Altuve.&quot; - Rob FriedmanBen Joyce came into the game as the Los Angeles Angels trailed the Astros by a score of 4-2. The second batter Joyce faced was former MVP Jose Altuve. Altuve, known for his ability to make contact, could only watch as Joyce wailed three 100+ mph balls past the second baseman for a strikeout. Aaron@ar4nier@PitchingNinja Shit looked unhittable in person@PitchingNinja Shit looked unhittable in personRobert Robertson@RobPaul79@PitchingNinja I hope he has a long, and healthy career. He is a lot of fun to watch.131@PitchingNinja I hope he has a long, and healthy career. He is a lot of fun to watch.Eric Waddell@BearcatVol@PitchingNinja So fast it doesn’t even matter if someone gives Altuve the signs.2@PitchingNinja So fast it doesn’t even matter if someone gives Altuve the signs.Joyce also struck out Yordan Alvarez to get through the inning unscathed. As Jose Altuve trundled back to the Houston Astros dugout, a look of bewilderment befell the Venezuelan. Fans reacted to the sight accordingly: JimFCoach🇺🇸@JimfCoach@PitchingNinja Whoa!!!Now that's HEAT!!!1@PitchingNinja Whoa!!!Now that's HEAT!!!Thunder Fan@LVRaiders917@PitchingNinja I’m calling it right now… Ben Joyce will break Chapman’s 105.9 MPH record at some point.33@PitchingNinja I’m calling it right now… Ben Joyce will break Chapman’s 105.9 MPH record at some point.Cryptking.eth 👑 🦍@Cryptking_1@PitchingNinja dude pitches like Hulk Hogan 🤣57@PitchingNinja dude pitches like Hulk Hogan 🤣Although many fans are rightly marveling at Joyce's cannon of an arm, some are worried for the young man. Many commenters posited that the youngster risks throwing out his arm if he continues to hurl with such abandon. Norm Brooks@BrooksNorm@MLBONFOX Tommy John surgery incoming.@MLBONFOX Tommy John surgery incoming.Eun Kieke@EunKieke@TalkinBaseball_ Tommy John surgery by end of season@TalkinBaseball_ Tommy John surgery by end of season🤘🏻That Astros Guy🤘🏻@cpenny81@ryanbokros @PitchingNinja Yep he’s gonna have a very short career2@ryanbokros @PitchingNinja Yep he’s gonna have a very short careerThe 6-foot-5 right-hander now has four strikeouts in two innings of MLB play. With the LA Angels now in fourth place in the AL West, 6.5 games behind the Texas Rangers, hope springs eternal for Angels fans that Joyce will continue to baffle hitters by delivering rockets. Ben Joyce might need to learn how to take it easy Obtaining a starting spot on an MLB team, even as a relief pitcher, is exceedingly difficult. Joyce knows that the competition for his job is fierce, and may feel as though overcompensating with the fastball is the only way to set himself apart. While the highlight reels are something else, elbow surgery is a real threat and not something that Ben Joyce wants to deal with at this nascent point in his career.