We're off to an unprecedented start to Jacob Misiorowski's major league career as the Milwaukee Brewers' ace is already shattering MLB records that some thought would go untouched forever. At only 24 years old, the Miz is at the top of the Cy Young Award race with an 8-2 record and the lowest ERA among qualified starters by a decent margin at 1.34.
So naturally, Misiorowski's unusual rise has captivated baseball fans around the globe, including some of the game's all-time greats. Among them is Nolan Ryan, the legendary pitcher who spent 27 years in the majors, holding the all-time record for career strikeouts by more than 800 Ks. Ryan was recently interviewed by Jayson Stark of The Athletic for his reaction to the young star's meteoric rise.
Although he wasn't quick to compare his game to Misiorowski's specifically, he's more interested in the developmental track and what that means for the type of player he can grow into.
"It’ll be interesting to see his career develop. The game needs more pitchers like that. I truly believe that. And it’s gonna be fun to watch," Ryan told Stark. "To look at my career, and the point where he is in his career today, he’s much further down the road now than I was."
There's no better compliment than the respect of the legends who came before you. It validates all the hard work that goes into becoming a star athlete and provides more evidence, if he needed it, that Misiorowski is well on his way to his historic career himself.
If this is what Jacob Misiorowski is capable of now, what could the Brewers star become as he grows?
You cannot catalog the greatest pitchers of all time without including Nolan Ryan on the list, and if he feels like Misiorowski is already ahead of where he was at the Miz's age, it's an incredible sign that we are in for a journey here in Milwaukee.
You don't need to be a professional trainer or development coach to understand that Misiorowski is just getting started in his journey. The work he's done with longtime Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook accelerated what was already an unbelievable growth curve from the young star. But when you're this early into your career, there's always more opportunity to grow, which should strike fear into the hearts of Milwaukee's NL Central foes.
There's a legitimate path for Misiorowski to become one of the greatest players of all time. Sometimes, that gets thrown around prematurely or out of place, but given what he's already showing, it's no overstatement. If he's able to play a long, healthy career, there's no reason why Misiorowski's name shouldn't be all over the MLB record books.
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