Jacob Misiorowski officially added the 2026 NL Cy Young Award to his trophy case, capping off a truly historic season where he shattered fastball velocity records and led the Milwaukee Brewers to a World Series title. The flame-throwing right-hander earned every single one of the 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA, a unanimous decision that says everything you need to know about his absolute domination this year. He faced off against finalists Cristopher Sánchez from the Phillies and Chris Sale of the Braves, but honestly, it wasn’t even close.
Unanimous Domination, Historic Season
This unanimous victory isn’t just incredible on its own, it also marks the second straight season an NL pitcher has pulled it off, following Paul Skenes of the Pirates in 2025. What’s even wilder is that Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees also won the AL Cy Young unanimously, making 2026 only the third time in award history both leagues have seen unanimous winners. That puts Misiorowski in company with legends from 2022 (Justin Verlander and Sandy Alcantara) and 1968 (Bob Gibson and Denny McLain). Sánchez finished a distant second with 17 second-place votes, Sale had 11, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto picked up the final two. But the voting margin wasn’t a surprise to anyone who watched him pitch.
Misiorowski didn’t just win, he owned the National League. He led in literally every major category that tells you a pitcher is unstoppable: a staggering 1.80 ERA over 174 2/3 innings, 252 strikeouts, an absurd .802 WHIP, a 2.17 FIP, and he held opposing batters to a measly .157 average. Oh, and this was all *before* he dropped a 1.89 ERA in four World Series starts that didn’t even count toward the award. This guy was the heart of a Brewers squad that won a franchise-record 103 games and finally snagged their first World Series title. He’s only the fourth Brewers pitcher to win a Cy Young, joining Corbin Burnes, Pete Vuckovich, and Rollie Fingers, making him the first NL winner for them since Burnes.
The Arm: Unprecedented Velocity and What It Means
Everyone has had their eyes on “The Miz” since his very first MLB start last year, when he debuted with a triple-digit fastball and famously threw 11 straight no-hit innings to kick off his big-league career. His rookie year was a bit of a rollercoaster, but looking back now, that was just the warm-up act. What he did in 2026 was a completely different beast. He broke Jordan Hicks’ 2022 record for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a starting pitcher (tracked since 2008) by hitting 103.6 mph on May 8.
And he wasn’t done! Misiorowski went on to throw an insane 107 more pitches at 103.2 mph or faster throughout the season, constantly resetting the velocity standard for starters. His peak? A mind-blowing 105.5 mph on June 26. To put that in perspective, only two pitches in MLB history have ever been tracked faster, and both came from Aroldis Chapman as a *reliever*. This isn’t just pure heat, either. His 6-foot-7 frame, combined with that low arm angle, gives him elite extension to the plate, cutting down reaction time for hitters even further. Plus, his command is sharp, and he generates a massive spin rate. You can argue his fastball might just be the best MLB has ever seen. And just for kicks, he throws a slider that sits in the 90s. Imagine trying to hit that sequence!
With everything Misiorowski showed in 2026, it’s no wonder he delivered such an earth-shattering season. We’re talking about a pitcher who’s not just dominant, he’s fundamentally changing what we thought was possible on the mound. Get ready for a new era, because Jacob Misiorowski is just getting started.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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