Young's pitches not as fast as they appear

Throughout spring training, Mets manager Terry Collins raved about Chris Young's velocity. Or, at least, the appearance of his velocity.

Collins said Young's height (he's 6-10) combined with his overhand delivery makes his fastball look that much faster to hitters. And that can only be a good thing, considering Young's velocity has been on a steady decline since 2004 because of shoulder problems.

According to the website fangraphs.com, Young's fastball averaged 87.2 mph in 2008, 85.8 mph in 2009 and 84.7 mph in 2010. He averaged 91.2 mph as a rookie in 2004. Young, who had shoulder surgery in August 2009, says his shoulder feels stronger than it has in years.