"It’s coming in so hard" - Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe explains the challenge of receiving Ben Joyce’s 105+ MPH fastballs

It's been a difficult season for the Los Angeles Angels. However, the emergence of Ben Joyce is something that fans can get behind. The 23-year-old relief pitcher has been a revelation for the Angels this season, thanks to his elite abilities in the clutch and his head-turning velocity.

Ben Joyce might not be a household name yet, but the young pitcheris phenomenal on the mound. Earlier this season, Joyce recorded the fastest strikeout throw in the pitch-tracking era, hitting a fastball of 105.5 mph, sending Los Angeles Dodgers batter Tommy Edman back to the dugout.

Although Joyce's incredible velocity is must-watch television, that immense speed makes life a little harder for his catchers. In an interview on Foul Territory, Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe explained the difficulty of receiving a pitch of that velocity.

"It's tougher to catch and get those pitches on the edges because it is coming in so hard and you don't want to cheat to it and get tense," O'Hoppe explained.

The Angels catcher added:

"It's an interesting thing, like the receiving numbers are always a little lower with him because it's tougher to stay beneath the ball."

This should be no surprise given Joyce's ability to put the radar gun to work. His 105.5 mph strikeout of Tommy Edman sits behind only two pitches thrown by Cuban flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. The 36-year-old has had pitches hitting 105.8 mph and 105.7 mph throughout his career, something that could be within reach of Ben Joyce.

Ben Joyce's health remains a question in view of his long-term future in the MLB

Although Joyce's fastball may look like a blur, there have already been questions raised about his long-term health. Throwing with such a high velocity puts a ton of strain on one's arm and shoulder, something that has already been an issue for him.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels placed Joyce on the 15-day IL as the result of right shoulder inflammation. Although Joyce has said that the inflammation is already improving, given the number of significant injuries to pitchers this season, there will always be questions about whether or not he will be able to sustain this level of velocity moving forward.

Joyce has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 34.2 innings of work this season. Here's hoping that he can remain healthy because he truly is electric on the mound.