A poll from MLB.com has Milwaukee Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski ahead of Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin in the NL rookie of the year race. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Jacob Misiorowski Hype Wrongfully Overtaking Braves' Drake Baldwin

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Dave Holcomb | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 5:50 PM ET

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starter Jacob Misiorowski has lived up to his hype and taken the big leagues by storm five starts into his career.

But the praise he's received might be going a little too far.

It's one thing if Misiorowski was just simply getting praise. But on top of that, Misiorowski received an All-Star nomination on the National League team this week. Then on Thursday, an MLB.com poll, which received votes from MLB experts, placed the right-hander in the lead for the NL Rookie of the Year award.

That last detail is noteworthy for the Atlanta Braves. The team's rookie catcher, Drake Baldwin, was second in the poll behind Misiorowski.

Jacob Misiorowski's meteoric rise through the big leagues lands him atop https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39's NL Rookie of the Year Poll ☄️ pic.twitter.com/alnrqZrQdG
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2025

There's little denying that Misiorowski has been terrific. He is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA, 0.896 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.

But he's made only five starts this season. That hardly qualifies him for things like the MLB All-Star Game.

Not that Baldwin was All-Star worthy. But when it comes to the Rookie of the Year award, Baldwin has a lot bigger sample size. He's been in the big leagues since Opening Day and has posted a .279 batting average and .830 OPS with 11 home runs, 32 RBI and 21 runs in 211 plate appearances.

Baldwin has appeared in 65 of Atlanta's 95 games during 2025. Misiorowski made his MLB debut just five weeks ago.

By the end of the season, it will be a moot point. If Misiorowski continues to pitch as he has and stays healthy, he will qualify for the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Based on projecting Misiorowski continuing his success, then he could be considered the favorite to win the award. It's just a tough pill to swallow that he's the frontrunner for the award in the eyes of a lot of experts given how great Baldwin has hit and the small sample the Brewers starter still has.

This article first appeared on Atlanta Braves on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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