Young Dodgers Reliever Shatters Team Record With Blistering 103.6 MPH Strikeout Pitch

Clear Facts

• Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez threw a 103.6 mph sinker for a called third strike against Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler in the eighth inning
• The pitch is the fastest strikeout pitch ever recorded by a Dodgers pitcher since MLB pitch-tracking began in 2008
• Henriquez, 24, already owns 14 of the Dodgers’ 16 fastest recorded strikeout pitches and operates with triple-digit velocity as his standard

A 103.6 mph pitch would be a career-defining moment for nearly any pitcher in Major League Baseball. For Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez, throwing at that velocity is increasingly becoming routine business.

Henriquez, just 24 years old, completely froze Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler with a 103.6 mph front-door sinker in the eighth inning that clipped the edge of the strike zone for a called third strike. Dingler immediately challenged the call, unable to believe what had just happened.

“Got him looking! A 104-mile-per-hour sinker,” the television broadcaster announced.

The review seemed to underscore the historic moment unfolding. Statcast clocked Henriquez’s sinker at precisely 103.6 mph with 2,439 rpm of spin.

According to MLB pitch-tracking data dating back to 2008, it was the fastest strikeout pitch ever thrown by a Dodgers pitcher in franchise history. The record-setting sinker was a highlight in an otherwise difficult 2-1 loss for Los Angeles against Detroit.

Henriquez already owned an impressive 14 of the Dodgers’ 16 fastest recorded strikeout pitches and 22 of the team’s fastest pitches overall. His 103.6 mph sinker Saturday matched a career high he first achieved during a June 2 matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Baseball Savant lists Henriquez’s average sinker at 100.8 mph this season and his four-seam fastball at an average of 100.5 mph. While most relievers in the major leagues strive to occasionally reach 100 mph, the right-handed flamethrower operates at that level with remarkable regularity.

That consistency first began to draw serious attention last August, when Henriquez fired a 103.3 mph four-seam fastball to Ryan O’Hearn, matching Jonathan Broxton’s Dodgers-era tracking record. A year later, Henriquez has managed to surpass that mark and establish himself as one of baseball’s hardest throwers.

The young Venezuelan pitcher represents the kind of raw talent and physical excellence that makes baseball compelling for fans across America. His ability to consistently reach triple-digit velocity sets him apart in an era where power pitching has become increasingly valued.

The decisive rubber game of the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ three-game series in Detroit is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

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