Jacob Misiorowski may be new to the majors, but he’s already leaving a mark few rookies can claim.
The 22-year-old Brewers pitcher delivered a jaw-dropping performance Tuesday night against the Dodgers, striking out 12 batters—including superstar Shohei Ohtani—after giving up a leadoff 431-foot homer to him in the first. Despite the explosive start, Misiorowski settled in and silenced one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups, leading Milwaukee to a 3-1 win.
“It’s Shohei Ohtani,” Misiorowski said postgame. “He got me once, but that just fired me up.” Fired up indeed—the rookie then struck out 12 of the next 16 batters he faced, using a mix of 100+ mph fastballs and devastating off-speed stuff.
Even three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw was impressed: “I don’t know how you hit that. That was unbelievable.”
Misiorowski, who now owns a 4-1 record with a 2.81 ERA in five starts, topped out at 101.6 mph and mixed in a career-high 19 curveballs. His composure under pressure, especially in a sixth-inning jam, showed poise beyond his years.
“I think that’s my job—to figure it out on the fly,” Misiorowski said. With wins over both Kershaw and Paul Skenes already, he’s doing exactly that.
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