The story of the season for the Milwaukee Brewers has been the sensational, volcanic rise of starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The 24-year-old Missouri native is no longer a hidden gem known only by Wisconsin's dedicated fans and baseball junkies, but is becoming a household name with his record-shattering fastballs and league-leading ERA among qualified starters.
On the mound, he's as fiersome a foe as you could face as a batter, but off it, he's still just a kid at heart. Misiorowski is relatively soft-spoken with an understated demeanor... until you bring up Pokémon, that is.
You see, Misiorowski came into the world in the perfect era to be a Pokémon fan. He was born in 2002 — the same year that one of the all-time great handheld video games, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, was originally released in Japan. On the dawn of its third generation, the popular video game and trading card franchise asserted its foothold in popular culture, capturing the hearts and creativity of young people everywhere. Misiorowski was enamored from the jump, collecting cards and playing video games from a very young age, just as the franchise became part of the global lexicon.
Fast forward to his second season as an MLB pro, and Misiorowski is just as dedicated a Pokémon fan as when he was a kid, because who says just because you grew up means that you have to... well... grow up! The confidence he carries on the mound is the same confidence he radiates in the dugout while ripping rare Pokémon card packs or joining ESPN's Jeff Passan for a special episode of his podcast, discussing why MLB players have become so obsessed with collecting these cards.
The real answer is that they always were obsessed with these hobbies, but now, in the social media era, it's more socially acceptable to talk about your niche hobbies and find community online. In that regard, Misiorowski is setting a new standard for what it means to truly be yourself in the public eye.
Jacob Misiorowski being a Pokémon stan is helping to end a culture that keeps athletes from being true to themselves.
'The Miz' isn't the first Pokémon fan in professional sports, but he is one of the most vocal about it. Even just 10 years ago, he'd probably be ridiculed for being so forthcoming about his beloved hobby because anything that falls into the bucket of 'nerd culture' exposed you to bullying or harassment. Now that people have more license to be true to themselves, many have learned that even though they were made to feel alone in their interests, they weren't. That was just someone else projecting their own insecurities onto others.
Misiorowski isn't alone in his public affection for Pokémon. Braves ace Chris Sale has a massive, impressive card collection of his own. Mike Trout and Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels have been seen ripping backs in the dugout, and that's only the start of the list.
Counter-culture is only considered as such if someone is gatekeeping it from becoming part of the mainstream. Don't believe me? Ask someone under the age of 30 in your life if they have a favorite Pokémon, and I'd venture to guarantee that at least half of everyone you poll has a finite answer.
So, to Misiorowski, Sale, Trout, and all the other professional athletes proving that each individual gets to decide what they think is cool — thank you, on behalf of everyone who ever got picked on for being into Pokémon. It's harmless fun for the whole family, and further proof that when you stay true to yourself and work hard, you can do anything you set your mind to.
And in Misiorowski's case? There's a chance for him to be the very best... like no one ever was.
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