Jordan Hicks can’t explain where the gas comes from. If he’s being honest, the St. Louis Cardinals rookie flamethrower doesn’t really want to. Best not to overthink it.
So the 21-year-old reliever steps on the rubber and lets his mind go blank before beginning a delivery that looks like it could fit in a phone booth. No long levers. No exaggerated windup. Just straight fire — stuff that makes the readout from the radar gun look like a misprint.
101. 102. 103. 104. 105.
It’s the kind of speed that sends a jolt through the crowd and the opposing dugout alike.