Why It Ranks
Fastball is the most scientifically fascinating sports documentary. Costner's narration is warm. The debate over who threw the fastest pitch is genuinely compelling. The slow-motion footage reveals a hidden world of physics and human reaction.
The Film
Fastball is a captivating documentary that examines baseball's most elemental confrontation: the pitcher vs. the batter. Narrated by Kevin Costner, the film uses science, history, and interviews with legends like Nolan Ryan and Hank Aaron to explore whether modern pitchers throw harder than their predecessors. The high-speed camera footage of a fastball's journey from mound to plate is mesmerizing.
Fun Facts
The film uses military-grade tracking technology to measure historical pitch speeds.
Scientists in the film conclude that batters have approximately 400 milliseconds to react to a fastball.
Nolan Ryan's fastball was clocked at 100.9 mph in 1974 — the film examines whether earlier pitchers threw faster.
The documentary has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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