Joyce struck out two and worked around a base hit in a scoreless seventh inning en route to collecting a hold in Monday's 6-4 win over the White Sox.
The 22-year-old right-hander brought the heat in his MLB debut -- 11 of his 12 pitches cleared 100 miles per hour, with his first four-seamer of the night charting at 102.2 mph. According to J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News, Angels manager Phil Nevin said over the weekend that Chris Devenski and Jacob Webb will likely serve as the primary setup options for closer Carlos Estevez while Matt Moore (oblique) is on the shelf, but Joyce could quickly carve out a high-leverage role in his own right if he continues to overpower hitters like he did Monday.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Call-up official
Rotowire
The Angels selected Joyce's contract from Double-A Rocket City on Sunday.
Joyce will head to the big leagues less than a year after the organization selected the right-hander in the third round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. The right-hander boasts a fastball that can reach the triple digits with regularity, and he's registered a 3.27 ERA and 17:6 K:BB over his last 11 innings at Double-A. The 22-year-old has dealt with command issues at times, but he has the stuff to provide immediate help to the Los Angeles bullpen. He could get a chance to work in a high-leverage role for the Angels, though he may first have to prove himself in middle-relief situations.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Getting call to majors
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Angels manager Phil Nevin said Joyce will be promoted from Double-A Rocket City ahead of Sunday's game against the Marlins, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
The 22-year-old right-hander will be joining the Anaheim bullpen as a replacement for Matt Moore, who is headed for the 15-day injured list due to an oblique strain. The 2022 third-round pick is a pure relief prospect, but thanks to a big fastball that routinely reaches the triple digits, he has a chance to become one of the top bullpen arms in baseball once he reaches his peak. After a rough start to the season at Double-A, Joyce has been much sharper over the past month, logging a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 11 innings over his last nine appearances. He could immediately step into a key setup role in front of closer Carlos Estevez as he matriculates to the big leagues.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Shows unsteady control in Double-A
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Joyce walked four batters in two-thirds of an inning in a Double-A game for Rocket City on Saturday.
In one of the most unique combined no-hitters to date, Rocket City took a 7-5 loss in the seven-inning affair. Joyce came in to finish off the no-no with his team up 3-0 in the seventh, but he allowed a run on four walks before a two-out error by Jeremiah Jackson in center field allowed three runs to cross the plate. Joyce garnered preseason buzz thanks to his 104 mph fastball and 10 strikeouts over 6.2 innings, but control issues were evident as he also walked six over that span. The Angels' bullpen has been middle-of-the road with a 3.62 ERA so far this season, and Joyce's name tends to come up as a potential call-up whenever an upgrade is discussed. However, he'll likely need to demonstrate improved control before the big club summons him to majors.
Joyce will open the year with Double-A Rocket City due to the way the altitude in Salt Lake impacts pitching development, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
For a pitcher who was the talk of the Angels' bullpen during spring training and didn't get reassigned until this past weekend, it would have seemed likely for Joyce to open the year at Triple-A. As Blum notes, Chase Silseth was held at Double-A last year before getting promoted to the majors, so this is a tactic the Angels like to use with young pitchers given the alternative of sending them to the Pacific Coast League. Joyce is a strong candidate to pitch his way to the majors if he stays healthy and could be the Angels' long-term closer.
Angels' Ben Joyce: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Joyce was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Angels on Friday.
Joyce showed off his impressive fastball during his time in camp with the Angels -- clocking as high as 104 mph on radar guns -- but he also walked five over six appearances to suggest his command isn't quite big-league ready. The former University of Tennessee star will open in the upper levels, and he could be an option for the Angels' bullpen before the end of 2023.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Hits 104 mph with fastball
Rotowire
Joyce's final pitch in Friday's Cactus League appearance against Kansas City clocked in at 104 mph, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Joyce was the 89th pick in last year's first-year player draft and was clocked as high as 105 mph with his fastball while with Tennessee. The right-hander has turned heads not only with his velocity this spring, but also with his results, as he's pitched five scoreless innings during which he has allowed just two hits while striking out six batters. About the only knock on his work thus far has been his control -- he's walked four batters in the five frames. Joyce wasn't initially expected to vie for a role on the Opening Day roster, but given his performance thus far, he's in contention to do so, per Bollinger.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Receives invite to camp
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Joyce was invited Friday to MLB spring training by the Angels, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Joyce was a third-round pick by the Angels out of Tennessee, and the right-hander is renowned for a fastball that has been clocked as high as 105 mph. The 22-year-old made 13 appearances for Double-A Rocket City after being drafted, and he recorded a 20:4 K:BB with a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings. Joyce isn't likely to make the Angels out of spring training, but his electric stuff gives him a chance to help before 2023 ends, and he just might be the closer of the future in Los Angeles.
