Listen as Jacob Misiorowski comments on his big-league debut in Milwaukee
Jacob Misiorowski comments on his big-league debut at American Family Field on June 12, 2025, against the St. Louis Cardinals. Misiorowski pitched five innings without allowing a hit during a 6-0 Brewers win.
Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski won his third straight start, defeating Paul Skenes and the Pirates 4-2.Misiorowski pitched five scoreless innings, striking out eight and hitting 102.4 mph on the radar gun.Misiorowski is the first pitcher since 1901 to allow three or fewer hits in his first three starts (minimum 16 innings).
The anticipation entering the Paul Skenes-Jacob Misiorowski matchup June 25 at American Family Field was, well, unprecedented for the Milwaukee Brewers.
National media had been talking about it since Sunday, when the probables were finalized.
Local and state media turned out in droves to cover it.
A sellout crowd of 42,774 – the Brewers’ fifth, and largest to date – was on hand as the team reached the halfway point of the season on June 25.
And The Miz delivered exactly what everyone wanted to see.
Electric in the opening frame and emboldened by a four-run rally in the second against the reigning National League Rookie of the Year Award winner, Misiorowski went on to throw a dominant five innings that set the stage for a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field.
“It was exciting,” is how the 23-year-old framed the afternoon’s proceedings.
“It’s just as marketed, and he’s doing what everybody thought and said he would,” said Trevor Megill, whose 1-2-3 ninth sewed up the victory and a 3-0 start to Misiorowski’s major-league career.
“He just showed that he’s unflappable,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Over five innings and 74 pitches, Misiorowski shut the Pirates out on two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Save for a couple hiccups with his command Misiorowski picked up right where he left off in Minnesota, where he took a perfect game into the seventh inning before finally faltering.
He also brought his vaunted heater with him, hitting 100 mph or more on the radar gun 19 times to only once for Skenes. Misiorowski topped out at 102.4 – his fastest pitch to date in his short stint in the Brewers’ rotation and, presumably, the fastest pitch ever thrown by a Milwaukee pitcher.
And now, he’s the first pitcher since 1901 to allow three or fewer hits over his first three starts (minimum 16 innings).
“I think I’ve adjusted pretty good to the hitters,” Misiorowski said. “I think being in Triple-A with all the guys down there really helped a lot.”
Misiorowski spoke in the days preceding about how he’s avoided reading or watching any sort of coverage pertaining to him, a lesson he learned while ascending through the minor-league ranks.
He also had never spoken to Skenes – a potential teammate of his at LSU had Misiorowski chosen not to sign with the Brewers after being drafted in the second round in 2022 – prior to the Pirates arriving in Milwaukee.
“On the first day of the series we talked a little bit,” Misiorowski said. “Nothing crazy, just, ‘Nice to meet you.’ There was a little conversation about (LSU), especially with LSU winning it all (in the NCAA Men’s College World Series) here a few days ago.”
The teams split the first two games of the series, with the Pirates winning June 23 and the Brewers bouncing back the following day.
That left the rookie right-hander to square off against the Pirates’ 23-year-old ace on a pleasant, roof-open day that crackled with electricity from the outset.
“Excited. I think that’s the easiest way to put it,” said Misiorowski. “There’s so many nerves and everything with it.”
Those jitters showed at the outset as Pittsburgh leadoff man Adam Frazier worked a five-pitch walk and then quickly stole second on Misiorowski with a jump so large, catcher Eric Haase never even got off a throw.
Bryan Reynolds – always a thorn in the Brewers’ side – flied out to center next.
That brought up Spencer Horwitz, and the best stuff of the day from Misiorowski, who struck the Pirates first baseman on five pitches, all 100 mph or better.
Misiorowski followed up by striking out Nick Gonzales on seven pitches, a sequence that earned a fist pump from the pitcher and a roar from the crowd, which saw the radar gun hit 100 or more a total of 12 times.
“I think that’s what fired me up almost every inning,” Misiorowski said of the buzz in the crowd. “It was like, ‘OK, all these people are here to watch. Let’s go.’
“I think that was one of those things that you hear the roar of the crowd every pitch and you’re like, ‘I’ve got to keep going. Chase that adrenaline rush.’
“It’s awesome. I love it.”
A four-run second inning featuring four hits and a good deal of good luck for the Brewers staked Misiorowski to a 4-0 lead, and he responded by retiring six straight.
Paul Skenes reflects on the game 🎙️⬇️
“[Misiorowski] did a great job… looking forward to pitching against him again this year, it’ll be fun.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/pr3yyXfJq9
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) June 25, 2025
The highlights were his second-inning strikeout of Tommy Pham, who was caught looking at a 93.9-mph slider on the outside corner that prompted the outfielder to have a few words with home-plate umpire Will Little, and a three-pitch strikeout of Frazier that left the veteran looking at a nasty changeup on the outside corner.
The biggest spot of trouble Misiorowski faced came in the fourth, when Reynolds singled to lead off and Horwitz walked. But a 6-4-3 double-play grounder followed, and Oneil Cruz was dispatched with a four-pitch strikeout that included Misiorowski’s 102.4-mph missile.
“By the time he’s releasing the ball, it’s right on you,” Haase said. “As far as movement profile, it seems pretty straight. It’s almost too hard to be moving a lot, you know?”
After needing 37 pitches to navigate the second inning, Skenes ultimately lasted only four and 74 pitches.
And after Misiorowski erased Pham’s leadoff single in the fifth by sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a flyout, he was done as well.
“So far, with four days’ rest, he’s never went out past 75 (pitches),” Murphy said. “We just wanted to be smart about it, that’s all. Like we would any other pitcher – whether they’re throwing 99, throwing 92.
“You’ve got to take some precautions for the health and understand what he’s done in the past. It’s like training a marathon runner, right?”
Misiorowski, who’d thrown 86 pitches in each of his first two starts, was on board with the decision.
“I understood,” he said. “I think the competitor in me wanted to go again, and to keep going, because I thought I could. But I completely understand.
“They’re trying to do what’s best for me, and that’s just part of the game.”
Rob Zastryzny, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe and Megill took over from there and after 2 hours 24 minutes had elapsed Milwaukee had improved to a season-best nine games over .500 at 45-36.
As for Misiorowski, he became the second pitcher in Brewers history to win each of his first three games in the majors. He joined fellow rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who did it earlier this season.
Misiorowski also sports a 1.13 ERA, WHIP of 0.61 and opposing batters are “hitting” him at a 0.61 clip.
Yes, indeed, he’s going to continue to be must-see TV moving forward in what’s quickly become another interesting and competitive season for the Brewers.
“I think the nerves are still there but I had all the guys in the clubhouse saying, ‘You’ve got this. Keep doing what you’re doing.’ That’s huge,” Misiorowski said in describing the lead-up to Wednesday. “Of course, just being against Skenes is really cool.
“I’ve seen plenty of his games, so it’s awesome to face a guy like that and really compare yourself to some of the best.”