VFL Ben Joyce Makes MLB Debut

On Monday, former Tennessee Volunteers pitcher Ben Joyce debuted for the Los Angeles Angels against the Chicago White Sox.

Ben Joyce was picked in the 2022 draft by the Los Angeles Angels with the 89th overall pick. At Tennessee, Joyce was a force to be reckoned with. He has an ultra-high velocity fastball that was a nightmare for opposing batters. In his 2022 season with the Vols, he finished with a 2.23 ERA and allowed just eight earned runs in 32.1 innings pitched. He also recorded 53 strikeouts over that period. 

He excelled mightily through the minor leagues finishing with a 3.45 ERA over 27 games. He also had 44 strikeouts in 28.2 innings pitched for the Rocket City Trash Pandas. He was called up on May 28th to make his eventual debut for the Angels as a relief pitcher. A day later, Joyce would come in to relieve starting pitcher Griffin Canning to make his first appearance. In the bottom of the seventh inning, his first career pitch was a 102-mile-per-hour four-seam fastball that was in for a strike. 

In his appearance, Joyce would go on to finish the entirety of the last half of the inning. After giving up a single to White Sox designated hitter Andrew Vaughn, he would record his first two career strikeouts. They would come against first baseman Gavin Sheets and second baseman Romy Gonzalez. The final out would be a fly-out by White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal. Out of Joyce's 12 pitches he made, 11 of them were 100+ mph. The Los Angeles Angels won the game 6-4. 

You Might Also Like:

• Top SEC Podcast Gives Several Tennessee Hot Takes
• Tennessee Holds Lead For Williams Nwaneri
• Scouting Tennessee's Top 2024 Targets: Tre Johnson

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.