Jacob Misiorowski threw a pitch so hard Friday night that it basically broke the game for a few seconds. The 105.5 mph fastball he fired at Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in the first inning got fouled off, sure. But the number itself was the story. That pitch is already one of the hardest ever tracked in a major league game. And after Milwaukee’s 6-2 win, Misiorowski casually said he thinks he could go even harder.
“I definitely think it’s possible,” Misiorowski told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “Science says you can hit 108. Someone eventually is going to hit it. If that’s me, cool. I don’t think that’s something I need to focus on. Speed is cool but if it doesn’t win a ballgame it doesn’t matter.”
The guy is 24 years old and already the Cy Young favorite. His ERA sits at 1.45 through 99 innings, best in the majors. He has 146 strikeouts, also best in the majors. He allowed one run and struck out eight against Chicago. And he thinks he slipped a little on that 105.5 mph pitch, meaning the actual velocity could have been even higher. That’s almost dumb luck for the rest of the league.
The Brewers Keep Finding These Guys
Milwaukee is 50-29 and running away with the NL Central again. That’s become routine even though the franchise operates on a small-market budget. Their developmental system keeps churning out arms that other teams would overpay for in free agency. Misiorowski is the latest example of that machine working perfectly. He came up through the system with a fastball that was already elite, but the coaching staff helped him refine the command and the secondary stuff to the point where hitters can’t cheat on the heater even when they know it’s coming.
“Nonchalant dominance” is how a teammate described it this week. That fits. Misiorowski doesn’t celebrate strikeouts. He doesn’t pump his fist after blowing 104 past someone. He just walks back to the dugout and sits down. The Brewers as a whole have that vibe — they grind opponents down with execution, not chaos. But Misiorowski adds a layer of fear that changes how teams approach the series.
Next Stop: Cincinnati
Milwaukee hosts the Reds next week with Misiorowski scheduled to start. Hitters in the opposing clubhouse are already talking about what they saw on video from the Cubs game. It’s one thing to know a guy throws 105. It’s another to see it on a scouting report from the night before and know you have to step in against it. Misiorowski won’t be chasing 108. But if it happens, nobody in the building will be surprised. Not even him.
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