Overview
The fastball (four-seam fastball) is a pitcher's most fundamental pitch, generating backspin that creates lift opposing gravity, making it appear to rise from the batter's perspective. In NPB, 150 km/h is the benchmark for power pitchers; Shohei Ohtani recorded 165 km/h during his NPB career. Fastball quality depends not just on velocity but on spin rate and spin efficiency. Higher spin rates with a purer backspin axis produce greater hop, causing the ball to pass above the batter's expectation. Recent years have seen diversification of fastball variants including the two-seam (sinking fastball) and cutter, with pitchers exploiting subtle trajectory differences from the four-seam to deceive hitters.