I wasn't satisfied just comparing pitches over 100mph to pitches between 90-92, so I broke things down into something of a continuum. The results:
Pitch Speed | Contact% | Foul/swing% |
90-92 | 84.9 | 40.1 |
92-94 | 83.5 | 42.3 |
94-96 | 81.8 | 43.6 |
96-98 | 81.5 | 44.5 |
98-100 | 74.2 | 43.5 |
100+ | 76.0 | 46.4 |
Once you get into the upper 90s and triple-digit range, you start dealing with sample size concerns, along with concerns over the matter that there are only a few guys who can throw that hard, potentially biasing the numbers. But what's abundantly clear - and what comes as little surprise - is that the harder a guy throws, the harder it is to square him up.
It's interesting to note the contact drop between 96-98 and 98-100, since we're still dealing with samples in the thousands.