Jacob Misiorowski, the best pitcher in baseball for 2026, straight up shut down the Braves on Friday afternoon. He went six shutout innings, just dealing from the mound.
The Misiorowski Show Just Keeps Getting Better
This dude, Misiorowski, is only 24 years old and he’s not just the best pitcher in the world. He’s easily the most overwhelmingly dominant force on the mound right now. On Friday, at the Brewers’ home park, he went head-to-head with Chris Sale, a veteran ace some 13 years his senior. This wasn’t merely a battle of aces, it was a true duel between two of the best teams in baseball, period. The 40,130 fans packed in, soaking it all up. That was a sell-out crowd on a weekday afternoon, too, the 16th for Milwaukee this season. Everyone in attendance absolutely knew this game meant more than most August matchups. Milwaukee snagged a huge 2-1 win, a result that means everything for a Brewers squad trying to fend off those pesky Cubs and lock up the top seed for the postseason. For the Braves, it was about trying to secure a critical bye. Honestly though, no matter who’s in the other dugout, a Misiorowski start is pure appointment viewing these days. You just can’t miss it.
Triple-Digit Heat and Unhittable Sliders You Can’t Believe
When you watch Misiorowski take the mound, it’s immediately clear why he’s got the entire league on notice. First inning, he’s working from the first base side of the rubber, and his very first pitch to Braves leadoff hitter Ronald Acuña Jr. is a ridiculous 101.8 mph fastball, just sizzling inside for a ball. He went fastball on all five pitches to Acuña, every single one of them hitting triple digits, with four out of the zone. Acuña just barely managed to flick away the only strike, a microscopic sliver on the outside edge, and worked a walk. And get this: Misiorowski always works from the stretch. That’s super unusual for a starting pitcher, but hey, when you get those kinds of results, you really can’t argue with his approach.
On his sixth pitch of the game, he finally dropped a nasty 98 mph cutter on Drake Baldwin. A couple pitches later, his slider showed up for the first time on Friday. And get this, it wasn’t even his full-gas slider! He’s touched 98 mph with that slide-piece this season. Now, if that pitch is a true slider, the dude has thrown an unbelievable 49 of the 50 fastest sliders ever recorded. Seriously, think about that. Is a 98 mph slider more ridiculous than his occasional, casual 104 mph fastball? It might be, if it’s a real slider and not some hybrid “slutter.” But no doubt, that fastball is pure, unadulterated heat. Misiorowski then notched his first strikeout of the game on a screaming 101 mph pitch. This guy’s just built different.
This kind of jaw-dropping performance is absolutely what you live for as a fan. With the Brewers fighting tooth and nail for that top seed against the tough Cubs and the Braves pushing hard for a crucial bye, every single one of Misiorowski’s starts is going to be must-see TV. When this guy toes the rubber next, you better believe you need to be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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