Camilo Doval is special.
Now toting a three-pitch arsenal after adding a sinker, Doval has come a long way from being a guy who could only turn heads with his velocity.
On Friday, however, he reminded folks he can still do that.
Doval threw a 104 mph pitch in the ninth inning vs. the Diamondbacks, the fastest pitch recorded by a member of the Giants in the Statcast era, which goes back 15 years. In fact, only five pitchers in the last five seasons have hit that mark, and only two pitchers have ever exceeded the 104 mark.
Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks are the two pitchers to ever hit 105. Chapman has the fastest pitch ever recorded, a 105.8 mph heater.
Now that Doval has both a top-tier slider and sinker to pair with one of the most potent fastballs in the league, it’s hard not view him as one of the most talented closers in the majors heading into 2023.