Lincoln Zdunich
Jacob Misiorowski first made headlines last year after being named a replacement for the 2025 All Star game at Truist Park in Atlanta. The then-rookie for the Milwaukee Brewers was making history. He had made just five starts prior to the selection, beating out the likes of Cristopher Sánchez. And, while it was a controversial decision, it was impossible to deny that those five starts were incredible.
The Miz debuted with five-plus hitless innings before taking a perfect game into the seventh. He then outdueled Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes before his first tough outing against the New York Mets. Misiorowski immediately rebounded with a 12-strikeout performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers. All the while, his fastball averaged 99.3 mph and topped out at 103 mph.
He had a few rough outings towards the end of the season that ballooned his ERA to 4.43. That said, Misiorowski was viewed as one of the most interesting spectacles in baseball heading into 2026. The Brewers had plenty of worries with their rotation after trading away ace Freddy Peralta to the Mets. It was largely believed that too much weight was being put on the young Misiorowski to anchor the Milwaukee rotation. Instead, the phenom has thrived under pressure.
A Cy Young Race for the Ages
The aforementioned Sánchez and Misiorowski have spent the season dueling with Shohei Ohtani for the National League Cy Young award. It’s still too early to tell, but, with just under 100 games left to be played, these three have separated themselves from the rest of the pack with historic performances. Ohtani and Sánchez made headlines with historic scoreless streaks. Ohtani held an ERA under 1.00 until his last start on June 10 (3 ER, 6.2 IP). Sánchez, on the other hand, set a new Philadelphia Phillies‘ scoreless streak with 50 2/3 innings. It’s the longest streak ever by a left-hander, and the fifth-longest in MLB history.
Misiorowski has gone blow for blow with the two. Through 14 starts, the Miz boasts a minuscule 1.34 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. He’s been setting record strikeout numbers as well, with 131 in just 87 innings pitched. That puts the righty on pace for approximately 281 strikeouts. Misiorowski could even eclipse the 300-strikeout plateau for the first time since 2019 when both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander reached the mark.
The First Maddux of its Kind
That elite production was punctuated by Misiorowski’s most recent start against Philadelphia. He threw a Maddux (a shutout on fewer than 100 pitches) on Friday night and struck out an historic 15 Phillies while facing the minimum number of batters. He broke the previous record of strikeouts in a Maddux. That mark was set by Tarik Skubal last year with 13 K’s. It was a perfect game except for a Kyle Schwarber single in the fourth inning.
Misiorowski overpowered Philadelphia with his fastballs, touching 104.5 mph. That pitch was for a strikeout against Schwarber in the first inning. It was the fastest strikeout pitch by a starter since pitch tracking began in 2008. It’s worth wondering whether the success that the Miz has enjoyed will continue if the velocity drops from its otherworldly heights. For the time being, it’s certainly enjoyable to watch, no matter how long that success lasts. v
Whether or not Misiorowski can outduel Ohtani and Sánchez for the honor of the NL Cy Young award remains to be seen — there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played this season. The recent news of Ohtani’s left knee inflammation puts his Cy Young candidacy in question. The injury seems to not be too serious for the two-way player for his hitting, but it’s uncertain how it will affect his pitching. The Miz will have his work cut out for him, but he could become the first Brewer to win the Cy Young since Corbin Burnes in 2021.
