PHOENIX – Brewers officials took a significant risk when they included rookie flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski on the postseason roster last year, considering the way he slumped to the finish of the regular season and had little experience in relief. Now they’re hoping for a significant reward.
The 23-year-old right-hander is riding the high of three electric appearances against the Cubs in the NLDS and the Dodgers in the NLCS into what should be his first full season in the Major Leagues. Misiorowski is at the head of a class of young pitchers vying to fill out the starting rotation behind Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester.
“The postseason going how it went made it a lot easier to swallow how the regular season ended,” Misiorowski said. “It was good it ended that way. It propelled me into the offseason to really train hard and get ready for this year.”
Misiorowski’s rookie season consisted of extreme peaks and valleys, starting with an opening month in the Major Leagues so brilliant that he earned an invitation to the All-Star Game after only five starts. Before Misiorowski came along with 11 hitless innings to open his career, and victories over Paul Skenes and Clayton Kershaw, Skenes’ All-Star nod after 11 Major League appearances in 2024 was the earliest on record.
But then Misiorowski was reminded that Major League Baseball isn’t meant to be easy. In his next eight starts, Misiorowski was 1-1 with a 5.50 ERA and a stint on the injured list for a left shin contusion. After throwing 77 pitches for 11 outs in a Sept. 19 loss to the Cardinals in St. Louis, he lost his spot in Milwaukee’s starting rotation. A lone relief appearance against the Reds eight days later, designed to be a preview of a possible postseason role, turned south on a swinging bunt.
As the Brewers prepared to play the rival Cubs in the NLDS, nobody knew where Misiorowski fit.
Or whether he fit at all.
But ultimately, he made the cut.
“We didn’t make it easy on him. We didn’t baby him,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
Misiorowski’s finest work came against the Cubs. He struck out four batters in three scoreless innings and was the pitcher of record in Milwaukee’s Game 2 win at American Family Field, then was the pitcher of record again in Game 5, when Misiorowski worked four innings without issuing a walk in a 3-1 victory that snapped the Brewers’ streak of six straight postseason series losses.
In his lone NLCS appearance against the Dodgers, Misiorowski entered Game 3 amid the sort of traffic he encountered against the Reds in his first relief appearance during the regular season. But instead of wilting, this time he rose to the occasion by limiting the damage to two runs (one earned) while recording 15 outs and striking out nine in what became a 3-1 Brewers loss.
“I don’t know if it was one thing,” Misiorowski said. “It was finally putting it together and feeling comfortable.”
Does he plan any changes for 2026?
“I mean, ride with it for right now,” Misiorowski said. “Come three games into Spring Training, maybe we’ll change something around. But right now we’re just riding what we ended the year with and see where that takes us.”
Said Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold: “I hope he’s able to anchor our staff and be right there with Brandon Woodruff the whole way. He’s got incredible upside. We’ve seen that. What we saw in the playoffs makes us all really excited about what he has a chance to be this year.”
The new year is already off to a good start. Before he reported to camp, Misiorowski got engaged to his girlfriend and bought his first home. Before beginning Year 2, he paused to reflect on his rollercoaster ride as a rookie.
“It was like, ‘Holy cow, we actually did something really cool,’” Misiorowski said. “It sucked how it ended. Definitely not the way we wanted to go out. But at the same time, it’s still amazing how far we made it and how well this team performed. …
“As a little kid, that’s always what I dreamed of doing – performing in high-stakes moments. It’s an honor that they threw me out there in the situation that they did, and had faith in me to perform the way that I did. It worked out. It was good.”