Exit Velocity by Age (2026): Baseball and Softball Benchmarks

Quick guide: Short answer Benchmarks by age How to measure it What it means How to improve it Mistakes FAQs

The short answer

Exit velocity is how fast the ball leaves the bat. It is the single most-cited hitting metric in recruiting because it correlates with power potential better than almost anything else you can measure in a cage.

Three things to understand before looking at any chart:

Measurement method changes the number substantially. Tee, front toss, and live pitching produce different readings from the same hitter. So does radar placement.
Age charts are rough references, not standards. Physical maturity varies by years within a single birth year, and a late-developing 15-year-old is not behind.
The trend matters more than the peak. A player gaining 4 mph over a season is developing. A player who hit one number once has a data point.

Best for: Coaches and parents measuring hitters, and players preparing for showcases.

Avoid: Comparing a number measured on a tee at a home cage to a number measured off live pitching at a showcase. They are different measurements.

For measurement devices, start here: Compare our radar gun and speed sensor picks.

Benchmark ranges by age

The ranges below are commonly cited reference points for tee exit velocity, gathered from typical youth and high school program benchmarks. They are a starting frame of reference, not a target and not a standard. Every program measures differently.

Age	Baseball — developing	Baseball — solid	Baseball — advanced
9–10	Under 40 mph	40–50 mph	50 mph+
11–12	Under 50 mph	50–60 mph	60 mph+
13	Under 55 mph	55–65 mph	65 mph+
14	Under 62 mph	65–75 mph	75 mph+
15	Under 68 mph	70–80 mph	80 mph+
16	Under 74 mph	75–85 mph	85 mph+
17–18	Under 80 mph	80–90 mph	90 mph+

Fastpitch softball numbers run lower because of the lighter ball and different bat, and the same principle applies — use your program's own measurements as the reference:

Age	Developing	Solid	Advanced
10–12	Under 40 mph	40–50 mph	50 mph+
13–14	Under 50 mph	50–58 mph	58 mph+
15–16	Under 55 mph	55–65 mph	65 mph+
17–18	Under 60 mph	62–70 mph	70 mph+

How to use these: as a rough map, not a scoreboard. A 13-year-old who is 5'2" and a 13-year-old who is 6'0" are not comparable, and neither is behind. Track the individual player's own trend across a season.

How to measure exit velocity correctly

Radar measures speed along its own line of sight. Any angle between the radar and the ball's actual path under-reports the speed, and the error grows with the angle. This is why setup is everything.

The two valid positions:

Directly behind the hitter, in line with the intended ball flight, elevated to roughly ball height. Safe and easy.
Directly in front, behind an L-screen, in line with the ball flight. More accurate for a straight-away ball, and requires proper screening.

Protocol that produces usable data:

Use a tee for the baseline measurement. It removes pitch variability and makes the number repeatable across sessions.
Same ball type every time. Dimpled machine balls, leather game balls, and worn cage balls all read differently.
Warm the hitter up. A cold first swing is not a measurement.
Take 8 to 10 swings and record the average of the top three. A single peak reading is noise; an average of everything includes mishits.
Record the conditions with every number: tee or live, ball type, radar position, temperature, and bat used.
Measure at the same point in the training week. A number after a heavy lifting session is not comparable to a fresh one.

Device options: a pocket-style sports radar behind the hitter is the most common and most portable approach. Bat sensors measure bat speed rather than exit velocity, which is related but not the same. Camera-based systems in facilities measure more, and cost more. Our radar placement guide covers positioning in detail.

What the number actually tells you

What exit velocity predicts well: raw power potential, and how far a ball can travel when squared up. It is a physical capability measurement.

What it does not tell you:

How often the player squares the ball up. A 90 mph max exit velo with a 20 percent hard-hit rate is a different hitter than 85 mph with a 50 percent rate.
Launch angle. A 95 mph ground ball is an out. Exit velocity paired with launch angle is what produces damage.
Whether the swing works against real pitching. Tee numbers say nothing about pitch recognition or timing.
Approach, plate discipline, or baseball ability generally.

For recruiting: exit velocity is one of several numbers programs collect, alongside 60-yard time, throwing velocity, and position-specific measurements. Reported benchmarks rise steeply across levels. The practical advice is to ask the specific programs you are targeting what they look for, because published general benchmarks vary and change.

The honest framing for a young player: exit velocity is largely a function of size, strength, and bat speed. Most of the gain between ages 13 and 18 comes from physical development. Chasing the number at 12 is not productive; building the athlete is.

How to actually improve exit velocity

Three levers, in order of typical impact:

1. Get stronger. This is the largest lever for most young athletes and the most neglected.

A general strength program built around squats, hinges, presses, pulls, and carries, appropriate to training age.
Rotational power work — medicine ball throws in particular.
Adequate protein and sleep. Recovery is where the adaptation happens.
Qualified supervision for young athletes. Youth strength training is safe and beneficial when properly coached.

2. Increase bat speed.

Overload and underload bat training — swinging slightly heavier and slightly lighter implements in a structured protocol.
Efficient sequencing: the swing starts from the ground and moves up through the hips, torso, and hands.
Verify with a bat sensor rather than by feel — our swing analyzer guide covers the metrics.

3. Improve contact quality.

Hit a lot of balls, on the barrel, with intent.
Work the whole strike zone, not just the middle.
Use exit velocity feedback in training — hitters chase a number they can see, and that intent alone often produces gains.
Check bat fit. A bat that is too heavy or too long costs bat speed and therefore exit velocity.

Common mistakes to avoid

Measuring off-angle. The most common source of bad data, and it always reads low.
Reporting a single best swing. Use an average of the top few from a set.
Comparing across measurement conditions. Tee versus live versus different ball types are different numbers.
Chasing the number with a lighter bat the player cannot control in a game.
Measuring every session. Weekly or biweekly is plenty; daily testing creates pressure and noise.
Overreacting to a bad day. Fatigue, temperature, and ball condition all move the number several miles per hour.
Treating it as the goal. The goal is to be a good hitter. Exit velocity is one measurement of one component.

FAQs

What is a good exit velocity for a 14-year-old?

Commonly cited benchmark ranges put solid 14-year-old baseball players in roughly the 65 to 75 mph range off a tee, with advanced players higher. Numbers vary enormously by program, measurement method, and physical maturity, so treat any chart as a rough reference rather than a standard.

How do you measure exit velocity accurately?

Position the radar directly behind the hitter in line with the intended ball flight, or directly in front behind a screen, because radar measures speed along its own line of sight. Off-angle readings under-report. Take a set of swings and use the top few, not a single best or the average of everything.

Is tee exit velocity the same as game exit velocity?

No. Tee readings are usually the highest and most repeatable, front toss is somewhat lower, and live pitching produces the most variable numbers. Always note the measurement condition alongside the number — a tee number and a game number are not comparable.

What exit velocity do college recruiters want?

It varies widely by division and position. Reported program benchmarks generally rise steeply from junior college through Division I, and college programs typically weigh exit velocity alongside 60-yard time, throwing velocity, and in-game performance. Ask the specific programs you are targeting rather than relying on a general chart.

How can a player increase exit velocity?

The three levers are bat speed, contact quality, and strength. Bat speed responds to overload and underload training and to mechanical efficiency, contact quality responds to hitting a lot of balls on the barrel, and strength responds to a real training program. Chasing the number without improving these does not work.

Bottom line

Measure the same way every time, record the conditions, track the trend rather than the peak, and put your training effort into bat speed and strength rather than into the number itself. For model-by-model comparisons and current pricing, use our main guide: Compare our radar gun and speed sensor picks.