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Misiorowski keeps breaking records, but that shouldn't come at a cost
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski keeps breaking records, but that shouldn't come at the cost of durability

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed ace Jacob Misiorowski's arm is like a rocket. The team better not exhaust its fuel supply too fast. 

Misiorowski made his first start since the All-Star break in a home game against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He clearly had the need for speed after almost two weeks of rest. 

Jacob Misiorowski shatters velocity record in start against Rockies 

Misiorowski struck out seven consecutive batters to start the game. Of the seven pitches he threw to strike out a batter, the slowest was a 91.3 mph curveball to Rockies first baseman T.J. Rumfield. 

He kept bringing the heat for the rest of his outing, finishing with 12 strikeouts in five innings pitched in an 11-2 Brewers win. Per Baseball Savant, Misiorowski threw 83 pitches in Milwaukee's victory, 66 of which were fastballs. The average speed on those pitches was 102.8 mph.

According to ESPN Insights, Misiorowski set the Major League Baseball record for the most 100-plus-mph fastballs in a game on Sunday since pitch tracking began in 2008. He now owns seven of the top games. 

That's radical. But the performance should raise questions about whether the 24-year-old should continue to throw this hard this frequently.

Brewers must ensure they're protecting Jacob Misiorowski

Entering Sunday, Misiorowski ranked third in baseball in average velocity on four-seam fastballs (100.5 mph) behind Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edgardo Henriquez (100.6 mph) and San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller (101.3 mph). 

Misiorowski, however, tosses his fastball way more often than Miller or Henriquez. Take a look at the chart below. 

Pitcher Percentage of pitches that are fastballs
Misiorowski 1,084-of-1,725 (62.8 percent) 
Henriquez  210-of-646 (32.5 percent) 
Miller 302-of-682 (44.3 percent)

While Misiorowski is a young pitcher who's in his prime, throwing as fast as possible as often as he can puts him at greater risk of suffering significant arm injuries. The Brewers do seem to be keeping that in mind. Manager Pat Murphy said he would've pitched him in the sixth inning, but changed his mind after he looked fatigued in the fifth.

It's fantastic for the Brewers that Misiorowski is continuing to break records. That said, the pursuit of those shouldn't come at the expense of his long-term durability. 

He gives Milwaukee (66-39) a chance to upset the Dodgers (67-39) in a seven-game series if they meet in the National League postseason bracket in 2026. The Brewers shouldn't be thinking about only this year, either. They want Misiorowski to be among the best pitchers in baseball for five to 10 seasons, not one. That will give them more opportunities to win the first World Series in franchise history. 

The Brewers should advise Misiorowski to keep pushing the limit, but they also must remind him not to exceed it. 

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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