Cy Young Winner Chris Sale Defends Top Prospect Amid All-Star Game Selection Outrage

When the National League All-Star team takes the field on Tuesday night for the Midsummer Classic, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski will hear his name announced.

Misiorowski was named to the All-Star Game after making just five starts, serving as an alternate for injured or unavailable pitchers.

The 23-year-old has gone 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA through his five starts, striking out 33 over 25.2 innings. Armed with one of the best fastballs in the league, he regularly flashes triple-digit velocity, and he featured a 97 mph slider in his last outing.

A second-round pick in 2022, he's still ranked on MLB Pipeline's 100 prospect list at No. 21. And while he's certainly talented, not everyone is excited to see Misiorowski get this chance because of his limited body of work.

However, reigning National League Cy Young winner Chris Sale, who won't play in the game because of injury, defended Misiorowski in an appearance on Fanduel Sports Network:

"I'd say my first reaction is that you can't take it out on the kid, right? All he's done is go out there and do the best he can to be a big leaguer, be a pitcher...Whether you love the move or you hate the move, you can't fault him for it. He's just here trying to do the best he can and he deserves to enjoy this experience as much as anybody..."