Jacob Misiorowski, the Milwaukee Brewers’ flame-throwing right-hander, is absolutely dealing right now, dominating the NL Cy Young race. This dude has been lights out, rocking a ridiculous 1.76 ERA with an 11-5 record, 204 strikeouts, and a 237 ERA+ across 22 starts and 133 innings pitched. He is the clear favorite for the award as of August 13. But here’s the wild part: ESPN’s Jeff Passan just highlighted how the Brewers themselves might be the reason Misiorowski doesn’t actually win it. This is a total head-scratcher when your ace is that good, right?
Brewers’ October Dreams Could Sideline Their Ace
It all comes down to the Brewers’ postseason ambitions. Misiorowski has already blown past his career high in innings pitched this season. With seven weeks still left in the regular season, there’s a real chance the team starts limiting his workload to keep him fresh for a deep run in October. Think about it: they want to play deep into the postseason, and a fresh Misiorowski is key. While that’s awesome for the team’s chances, it throws a massive wrench into his Cy Young bid. It’s a true double-edged sword.
The Numbers Game and Cristopher Sanchez’s Threat
If the Brewers do start rationing Misiorowski’s innings, it opens the door wide for Philadelphia Phillies Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sanchez. Right now, Sanchez has a 2.54 ERA with 181 strikeouts in 155.2 innings pitched. That gives him a 22.2-inning lead over Misiorowski, and if that gap gets significantly wider, it could sway voters. Passan points out that for Misiorowski to truly lose this thing, it wouldn’t just be about innings. We’d likely need to see Misiorowski struggle a bit down the stretch while Sanchez absolutely thrives. If Misiorowski falls 40 or more innings behind Sanchez, and his ERA jumps while Sanchez’s drops, then yeah, that Cy Young award could slip away.
This is going to be fascinating to watch unfold. The Brewers have a choice to make: prioritize their postseason push by protecting their star, or let Misiorowski chase a historic Cy Young season. Either way, the next seven weeks of baseball are going to be wild, and every start for both Misiorowski and Sanchez will be under the microscope. We’re about to see if a team’s ambition can truly cost its biggest star a major individual award.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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