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Pitcher’s arm extension shortens distance from home plate down to 65 feet approx. Consequently a 85 MPH pitch, since it travels at 38 m/s, will reach the hypothetical point of contact in 0,43 sec. approx. On the contrary a 95 MPH fastball, travelling at 42 m/s speed, will arrive in 0,39 sec
Having said that let’s stop a moment to realize what happens to the hitter in the box. Average swing time has been calculated in 0,16 sec. approx. plus 0,25 sec. is time required for a visual reaction (that’s more than time required for reacting to a sonorous stimulus like the 100m dash start gun) Now if we sum up those two times [0,16 + 0,25 = 0.41 sec] we should conclude that it’s impossible for a human being able to hit a 95 MPH fastball if he needs a clear vision of the pitch flight path in order to decide to start or less a swing.
Then how can happen that it’s possible instead to hit pitches even faster that 95 MPH ? Hitter must start attacking a pitch before the ball is released, then using his own “picture” of the ball in flight in case to decide to stop his swing. Better is that hitter and closer will be distance of the ball from contact point when he decides to stop swinging, since a pitch usually reveals its real flight path only late.
In other words a good hitter first of all is defined when he attacks every pitch and then by how and when he stops swing.