Highest Exit Velocity of a Slow Pitch Softball (Live-Pitch)
Record Holder
Metric
Date Achieved
Location
Atlas Record ID
Bill Pearson
120 mph
19 February 2026
Gilbert, Arizona [USA]
20426036
Record Narrative
On February 19, 2026, beneath the cool desert night at Cactus Yards in Gilbert, Arizona, Bill Pearson stepped into the batter’s box and did something no human being had ever formally documented: he drove a live, human-pitched slow pitch softball to an exit velocity of 120 miles per hour.
The moment unfolded during an exit velocity showcase at the 2026 Spiderz Mega Draft Spring Training Tournament—one of the premier competitive slow pitch gatherings in the country. The setting was Sportsman’s Park. The air was sharp. The pitch rose in its familiar arc—slow, deliberate, almost gentle. And then the swing came.
Behind the plate, a Smart Coach Radar™ (Model SR1100) by Pocket Radar stood ready—a device trusted throughout the softball world for its Doppler precision and unforgiving objectivity. It does not exaggerate. It does not speculate. It simply reports.
The display read: 120 mph.
Off a live human delivery.
To understand the magnitude of that number, context matters. Pearson swung a 2025 Anarchy Joker—26 ounces of composite engineering: 13-inch barrel, half-ounce end load, ASA/USA certification, 2¼-inch barrel diameter, X-Core 2 technology. In elite slow pitch circles, it is a weapon of calibrated violence. But equipment alone does not produce 120 miles per hour. Timing does. Vision does. Synchronicity does.
It is essential to define what this record represents—and what it does not.
Exit velocities exceeding 130 mph have been recorded off tees. Pearson himself has reached that realm. Off a stationary ball, the variables collapse. There is no drift, no arc, no negotiation with gravity. The hitter controls every millisecond.
A live slow pitch is different. The ball travels with tremendous arc and rotation. It demands judgment, sequencing, and instantaneous mechanical harmony. The hitter must solve motion with motion. The margin for error narrows. The body must align with a falling object in real time.
That is the category Pearson conquered.
The previous benchmark in live-pitched slow pitch softball belonged to Ryan Harvey, whose documented 116 mph stood as the sport’s respected high-water mark—verified through video evidence and acknowledged by Atlas as the unofficial world benchmark. It was a formidable standard.
Pearson surpassed it by four miles per hour.
In power sports, four miles per hour is not incremental. It is tectonic.
On that February night in Arizona, Bill Pearson did not merely strike a ball. He expanded the measurable frontier of live-pitched slow pitch softball.
And the radar, indifferent and exact, bore witness.
Transparent Adjudicator's Statement
Summary of Claim
Bill Pearson claims to have achieved an exit velocity of 120 miles per hour on a live, human-pitched slow pitch softball during an exit velocity showcase at the 2026 Spiderz Mega Draft Spring Training Tournament.
The claim specifies that:
The ball was delivered by a human pitcher.
The ball was not struck from a tee.
The ball was not delivered by a pitching machine.
Exit velocity was measured immediately at contact using a Doppler radar device.
The recorded peak exit velocity was 120 mph.
This claim seeks recognition for the highest recorded exit velocity in the specific category of human-pitched slow pitch softball.
Evidence Submitted
Continuous video documentation of the swing and radar display and on-site adjudicators log. Footage and log confirm:
Live human-pitched delivery.
Clean bat-to-ball contact.
Immediate radar readout displaying 120 mph.
No evidence of tee use or mechanical pitch assistance.
Environmental conditions consistent with open-air field play.
Radar Readings:
Recorded Exit Velocity: 120 mph
Reading captured at point of contact.
Radar positioned in accordance with manufacturer guidance for exit velocity measurement.
Radar Specifications:
Device: Smart Coach Radar™ (Model SR1100)
Manufacturer: Pocket Radar
Doppler-based handheld radar system.
Widely used within the softball and baseball training community.
Designed to measure object velocity immediately off contact.
No evidence of device malfunction observed in video documentation.
Bat Specifications:
Model: 2025 Anarchy Joker
Barrel Length: 13 inches
End Load: 0.5 oz
Certification: ASA / USA
Barrel Diameter: 2-1/4 inch
Technology: X-Core 2
Construction: 2-Piece Composite
Weight: 26 oz
Bat falls within certified ASA/USA performance standards
Comparative and Cross-Archive Benchmark Review
A cross-archive review was conducted to determine prior benchmarks:
No certified record found to be publicly available within major world record archives for this specific category.
Publicly documented benchmark:
Ryan Harvey — 116 mph
Performance captured via video and widely circulated within slow pitch community.
Not certified by a formal record body.
Acknowledged by Atlas as the unofficial benchmark standard.
It is also noted that:
Exit velocities exceeding 130 mph have been recorded off a tee.
Those performances are excluded due to removal of live pitch variability.
No verified performance exceeding 116 mph under live human-pitch conditions was identified prior to Pearson’s attempt. Thus, 116 mph was recognized as the standing benchmark.
Verification Methodology
Atlas evaluated the claim under the following criteria:
Confirmation of live human-pitched delivery.
Confirmation of radar capture at moment of bat-ball contact.
Verification of equipment specifications.
Exclusion of tee-based or machine-assisted attempts.
Review of continuous video evidence for procedural integrity.
Cross-reference against known public benchmarks.
The Smart Coach Radar™ (SR1100) system measures instantaneous velocity using Doppler shift principles. Video confirms the 120 mph reading displayed immediately following contact. No procedural irregularities were observed.
Adjudication Findings
After review of the submitted video documentation, radar display confirmation, equipment specifications, and comparative benchmark analysis, Atlas finds that the ball was live and human-pitched, and that the radar reading of 120 miles per hour is clearly visible and unambiguous. The prior benchmark of 116 miles per hour was exceeded by four miles per hour, and no evidence suggests measurement distortion, mechanical assistance, or procedural violation. Accordingly, the performance satisfies the defined criteria for the record category titled Highest Exit Velocity of a Slow Pitch Softball (Human-Pitched Ball).
Conclusion
Atlas determines that on February 19, 2026, Bill Pearson achieved an exit velocity of 120 miles per hour on a live, human-pitched slow pitch softball at Sportsman’s Park, Cactus Yards, Gilbert, Arizona. This performance surpasses the previously acknowledged benchmark of 116 mph and establishes a new world record in the category of:
Highest Exit Velocity of a Slow Pitch Softball (Human-Pitched Ball).
Verified and Authenticated by Atlas World Records
February 19, 2026