Spring training stats don’t matter. Spring training velocity? That matters.
The radar gun readings are already turning heads across Arizona and Florida, with multiple pitchers showing noticeable jumps in the early days of exhibition play. Full Statcast tracking at every ballpark means we’re catching every single reading .
The most striking example so far is Red Sox lefty Jake Bennett.
Key Numbers:
Jake Bennett (Red Sox): 97.6 mph max fastball (up from 95.8 mph career high)
Jake Bennett average velo: 95.3 mph (up from 93.8 mph in Arizona Fall League)
Ryne Nelson (Diamondbacks): 95-97 mph four-seamer, 2 scoreless innings, 3 Ks
Spring Training Velocity Jumps
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Bennett 2025 max 95.8 mph │
│ Bennett 2026 max 97.6 mph ▲ +1.8 │
│ │
│ Bennett AFL avg 93.8 mph │
│ Bennett spring avg 95.3 mph ▲ +1.5 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘Acquired from the Nationals in a December trade, Bennett made his spring debut against the Twins and immediately showed why Boston wanted him. He touched 97.6 mph with his four-seamer, according to Baseball Savant tracking . That’s nearly two miles per hour harder than his previous career high of 95.8 mph with Washington last season.
The average velocity tells an even better story. Bennett sat at 95.3 mph in his first outing, up from 93.8 mph during his Arizona Fall League stint . For a 6-foot-6 lefty who already gets excellent extension, adding that much velocity changes his entire ceiling.
Bennett gave up a run on two singles and a hit batter in his 1 1/3 innings. Nobody in Boston cares. The velo is the story.
Out in Arizona, Diamondbacks righty Ryne Nelson had his own showcase against the Mariners. He tossed two scoreless innings, struck out three, and didn’t allow a hit . His four-seamer sat comfortably in the 95-97 mph range all night, touching 97 on two of his strikeouts. He got four outs with the fastball alone, mixing in a slider and a cutter for the other two .
Nelson is coming off a career year. He posted a 3.39 ERA across 154 innings in 2025, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen . If he’s sitting 96 with command, that’s a different pitcher than the one who started last season.
Small sample size warnings apply to everything in March. But velocity is velocity. Arms don’t lie.
Bennett went from 93.8 to 95.3 in a few months. That’s not a blip. That’s work.
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