Female sports continue to grow in popularity as top-tier women athletes bring out their best on the field, diamond, court, or water. One female sport that continues to grow in popularity over the past five to 10 years is women’s baseball. Young female baseball players typically transitioned from early baseball leagues such as t-ball over to softball. However, with the uptick in interest in baseball, many great female baseball players are making a name for themselves.
The fastest baseball pitch by a woman recorded currently belongs to Genevieve Beacom of Australia, who has topped out with an 85.9 Miles Per Hour (MPH) fastball. Beacom, who made history in 2022 by becoming the first female pitcher in the Australian Baseball League (ABL), has a passion for playing college and professional baseball in the United States.
In addition to Beacom, the other three female baseball players to top the 80 MPH mark include Raine Padgham, Olivia Pichardo, and Sarah Hudek.
Read on to learn more about each baseball player and who else lands among the ‘top 10 fastest baseball pitches by a woman’ ranking list.
Top 10 Fastest Baseball Pitches by a Woman
Genevieve Beacom – 85.9 MPH
Genevieve Beacom lands at the top of the list, holding the fastest baseball pitch speed with an 85.9 MPH fastball.
Beacom, who is from Melbourne, Australia, consistently reaches the low 80s with her fastball while reaching the mid-80s with her fastest pitches.
Her talent level showed up early, landing her on the Baseball Victoria Under 16 team while becoming the first female to achieve the accomplishment.
The Australian baseball player continues to develop her game, including spending time working at the Tread Athletics campus in North Carolina, developing her pitching skills as well as strength.
Raine Padgham – 83 MPH
Another female baseball player making a name for herself is Raine Padgham, who currently ranks 2nd among the fastest baseball pitches by a woman.
Padgham, who is a Canadian baseball player who is still under 18 years old, made national headlines just a few years ago after throwing 83 MPH while being just 15 years old.
The 83 MPH fastball topped the previous recorded record at the WBSC World Baseball World Cup held by former US National Team’s star Jade Gortarez.
Olivia Pichardo – 82 MPH
Rounding out the top three fastest baseball pitches by a woman is Olivia Pichardo. Pichardo became an internet sensation after a video of her made its way around after she posted a 100 MPH thrown at the Chicago White Sox stadium back in 2019.
While no confirmation of accuracy was reported, it is still an impressive feat, and Pichardo continues to turn heads with her ability to play the game of baseball.
The USA Women’s National Team baseball player has topped out at 82 MPH in international play.
Now a member of the Brown University Baseball team, Pichardo posted only one at-bat during her freshman season.
Sarah Hudek – 80 MPH
No stranger to playing the game of baseball Sarah Hudek put together a stellar baseball career while playing for the silver-medal Team USA women’s baseball team that competed in the Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2014.
Hudek, whose father, John Hudek, played from 1994 to 1999 in Major League Baseball, started playing the game at a young age while developing a passion for the sport.
Over her playing career, Hudek was talented both at the plate and on the mound. Hudek reached 80 MPH on the mound with her fastball while pitching for TEAM USA.
Jade Gortarez – 78.25 MPH
At number five on the list of the fastest baseball pitches by a woman is a member of Team USA women’s baseball team Jade Gortarez.
Gortarez, who appeared on the 2014 Women’s National Team at the World Baseball Classic along with a few of the other top female baseball players, has put together a strong career playing the game of baseball.
While she has converted mostly to an infielder on the team, Gortarez started her career as a pitcher while posting fastballs that reach as high as 78.25 MPH.
Kelsie Whitmore – 78 MPH
Kelsie Whitmore continues to play the game of baseball at a high level after finishing her softball career in 2020.
After her softball career ended, Whitmore played for the Portland Pickles in 2021 before signing with the Staten Island FerryHawks for the 2022 and 2023 Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) seasons.
Whitmore, from San Diego, California, has topped out with a 78-mph fastball landing her among the fastest baseball pitches by a woman.
Brittany Hepburn – 76.4 MPH
No stranger to high-level baseball competition, Brittany Hepburn has been front and center among the best women’s baseball players.
As an Australian Women’s National Team member, Hepburn has competed in multiple tournaments, including the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018-Women’s Baseball World Cup teams.
During the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup, she posted a top speed of 76.4 MPH with her fastball while ranking at the time as the fastest pitch thrown during the tournament.
Ayami Sato – 76.27 MPH
While professional women’s baseball is not currently present in the United States, it is a popular sport in Japan as the Japan Women’s Baseball League takes center stage.
Ayami Sato, who is from Japan, is a crucial member of the Aichi Dione in the Japan Women’s Baseball League and has represented Team Japan in the Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 tournaments.
Sato has posted a long list of accolades, including taking home multiple MVP Awards at the World Baseball Cup in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
She has topped out at 76.27 MPH with her fastball, reaching as high as 80 MPH unofficially.
Claire Eccles – 76 MPH
Another former Canadian National Women’s Baseball team member is Claire Eccles, who represented her country during the 2016 Women’s Baseball World Cup and the 2015 Pan American Games.
During those tournaments, Eccles was a vital member of the team while helping to bring home silver medals for Team Canada during both tournaments.
Over her baseball playing career, Eccles has posted one of the fastest fastballs thrown by women while topping out at 76 MPH.
Brittany Schutte – 75.4
Rounding out the top 10 fastest baseball pitches by a woman is Brittany Schutte, a former member of the Team USA National team during the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup and the 2019 Pan-American Games.
During the Women’s Baseball World Cup, Schutte allowed three runs over eight innings of work while striking out five batters.
A year later, Schutte posted a 2-0 record during the Pan American Games while allowing zero runs and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work.
While her playing career on the international stage is impressive, her 75.4 MPH fastball is even more impressive.
How Fast Can a Woman Throw a Baseball?
While it is often debated among men’s baseball who throws the fastest pitch, the discussion around the fastest baseball pitches by a woman is still relatively new.
An international sensation, Genevieve Beacom is slowly making a name for herself among the baseball rankings. She has been clocked throwing an 85.9 MPH fastball, consistently throwing in the low 80s during most outings, and chasing to become the first female baseball player to record an official 90 MPH pitch.
Beacom, the first female pitcher to pitch in an ABL game, recently spent time in the United States at the Tread Athletics campus in North Carolina to continue developing her baseball skills, hoping to land a spot on a college baseball team.
Fastest Fast Pitch Softball Pitch vs Fastest Baseball Pitch by a Female Baseball Player
As women slowly grow the female baseball landscape, the landscape of female softball is loaded with talented players at all levels, including with Little League, Travel Softball, College Fastpitch Softball, as well as within the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) softball league is at an all-time high as excellent players continue to emerge each softball season.
When you compare the pitch speeds between women’s fastpitch softball and women’s baseball, the average speed is very similar.
The average women’s fastpitch softball speed of top-tier softball players is approximately 66 MPH, while the average fastball speed of a female baseball player is 54 MPH.
The fastest fastpitch softball pitch thrown by a female softball player was thrown by Monica Abbott, which topped out at 77 MPH compared to the 85.9 MPH fastball thrown by Genvieve Beacom.
