AmericanQuick answer: a baseball hitter ages 11–12 is On Pace at about 58 mph exit velo off a tee, ages 13–14 at 68 mph and high schoolers at 80 mph. Fastpitch hitters are On Pace at 43 mph at ages 10–12, 53 mph at 13–14 and 65 mph in high school. The full tables are below.
Baseball exit velocity and bat speed by age
| Age | Exit velo off a tee (mph) | Bat speed (mph) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Pace | All-Star | Elite | On Pace | All-Star | Elite | |
| 9–10 | 48 | 55 | 60 | 38 | 41 | 45 |
| 11–12 | 58 | 65 | 70 | 46 | 49 | 52 |
| 13–14 | 68 | 75 | 80 | 54 | 58 | 62 |
| 15–18 | 80 | 88 | 95 | 62 | 66 | 70 |
| College / adult | 91 | 95 | 100 | 70 | 72 | 75 |
Softball exit velocity and bat speed by age
| Age | Exit velo off a tee (mph) | Bat speed (mph) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Pace | All-Star | Elite | On Pace | All-Star | Elite | |
| 10–12 | 43 | 50 | 55 | 39 | 43 | 46 |
| 13–14 | 53 | 60 | 65 | 45 | 49 | 52 |
| 15–18 | 65 | 72 | 80 | 56 | 61 | 66 |
| College / adult | 73 | 80 | 85 | 64 | 67 | 70 |
What the three levels mean
- On Pace is the middle of the typical range for the age.
- All-Star is the top of the typical range.
- Elite is about the top 10%.
Exit velo is measured off a tee with a radar gun or ball tracker. Bat speed is measured with a swing sensor such as Blast Motion. Starting targets come from published Bat Digest (exit velo) and Blast Motion (bat speed) benchmarks, and AHA will update them from real Go Hitting Challenge results. AHA doesn't publish standards for baseball players 8 and under or softball players under 10.
How to use these numbers
- Compare tee to tee. Game, front-toss and machine numbers run differently.
- Track the trend, not one swing. Test a few times a season with the same tool.
- Don't chase the number. A hitter who swings hard with a broken swing gets slower over time. Good movement comes first.
Want to see where your hitter ranks nationally? Enter the free monthly Go Hitting Challenge, which includes tee exit velo by age division.
Common questions
What is a good exit velocity for a 12-year-old?
For baseball players ages 11–12, AHA's On Pace standard is 58 mph off a tee, All-Star is 65 mph and Elite (about the top 10%) is 70 mph. For fastpitch softball players ages 10–12, it's 43, 50 and 55 mph.
What is a good exit velocity for a 14-year-old?
For baseball ages 13–14: On Pace 68 mph, All-Star 75 mph, Elite 80 mph off a tee. For fastpitch ages 13–14: 53, 60 and 65 mph.
What is a good exit velocity for a high school hitter?
For high school baseball players (ages 15–18): On Pace 80 mph, All-Star 88 mph, Elite 95 mph off a tee. For high school fastpitch: 65, 72 and 80 mph.
What is a good bat speed by age?
Baseball bat speed On Pace standards run from 38 mph at ages 9–10 to 62 mph at 15–18; fastpitch runs from 39 mph at 10–12 to 56 mph at 15–18. Bat speed is measured with a swing sensor such as Blast Motion.
How is exit velocity measured?
Exit velocity is how fast the ball leaves the bat. For these standards it is measured off a tee with a radar gun or a ball tracker. Numbers off live pitching or front toss will usually be different, so compare tee numbers to tee numbers.
Why are there no standards for younger players?
AHA does not publish standards for baseball players 8 and under or softball players under 10. At those ages, how a player moves and how much they enjoy the game matter far more than a radar number.