There are fantastic baseball players on every roster in the MLB, but you can always tell the great ones apart from the pack. There's a certain quality — a je ne sais quoi — that makes them stick out like a sore thumb. That quality doesn't always look the same, but it often elicits familiar feelings of awe, wonder, and hope. That's what Milwaukee Brewers fans are experiencing with Jacob Misiorowski so far this season.
It feels like every day, Misiorowski is breaking a new record or throwing a pitch that melts the minds of baseball fans everywhere. Just this week, he became the first pitcher in the modern era with a four-game run of 30+ strikeouts and no runs or extra base hits allowed. With more than 35 strikeouts and no earned runs in the last month, there's not much more Misiorowski can do to prove that he's the real deal.
At the rate he's progressing, Misiorowski is firmly planting himself in this year's Cy Young Award race and silently announcing his contention for years to come. In an era when fastballs are considered predictable, Misiorowski is dominating the competition by sticking to his bag and hurling some of the fastest pitches you've ever seen.
No, literally. Statistically speaking, Misiorowski has thrown most of the fastest pitches recorded by a starter in the modern era. It might be a bit uncomfortable to put a 24-year-old in talks with some of the game's greatest talents, but if we're looking at it objectively and statistically, The Miz has arrived and is firmly in the running for the title of best pitcher in the National League.
Don't be surprised if Jacob Misiorowski walks away with his first Cy Young Award this season.
Misiorowski was quick to etch his name alongside some of the best pitchers of the last decade. Of the 28 starters to throw at least 55 innings so far this season, Misiorowski's 32 hits rank second in the league, only behind Paul Skenes's 31 in Pittsburgh. His 4-2 record speaks volumes, even as the rising star battled through cramps and tweaks to his lower body often in the early going.
The Athletic's Jayson Stark recently pondered whether the National League will have the best Cy Young race ever, naming Skenes, Misiorowski, Shohei Ohtani and Mason Miller among the leading names on the list. No one said the road to the award is going to be easy, but given his recent track record, you can't deny that this is where Misiorowski belongs.
With 88 strikeouts, Misiorowski currently leads the entire MLB. Even for those who were not quick to crown him the next great pitcher after becoming an All-Star in his rookie season, it's becoming impossible to deny that we may be witnessing a generational talent on the rise. It doesn't matter if he wins this year, next, or for years to come.
Jacob Misiorowski is coming for the Cy Young Award, whether you're ready for it or not.
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