Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes went toe-to-toe Wednesday at American Family Field, and the Milwaukee Brewers rookie didn’t just hold his own — he outpitched one of the generational arms in baseball.
In front of a sold-out crowd, Misiorowski struck out eight over five scoreless innings and led the Brewers to a 4–2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in what felt like the most anticipated rookie pitching matchup of the year.
Both guys threw gas. Misiorowski hit 102.4 miles per hour, the fastest strikeout pitch in Brewers history, and reached triple digits 19 times. Skenes touched 100 once, but the Brewers made him work.
They forced a 37-pitch second inning, scored four runs, and knocked him out after just four frames. That was his shortest outing in the majors so far. Misiorowski, on the other hand, never blinked. He pounded the zone, got swings and misses with his fastball, and walked off to a standing ovation.
Misiorowski Checked The Moment
He said after the game he “made an extra effort” to block out all the hype, all the attention, all the Skenes talk. He didn’t just tune it out — he flat-out won the battle.
“It was just one of those things that you wanted to try and calm yourself down as much as possible and stay off the internet, because I feel like everything I swiped was me and Skenes, me and Skenes, me and Skenes,” Misiorowski said. “I had to mute it, turn it off.”
Through his first three MLB starts, Misiorowski now has three wins, just three hits allowed, 19 strikeouts, and a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings.
He said afterward it was cool to go up against someone like Skenes and see how he stacks up. If this was the first of many matchups between them, fans are in for a show. But on this day, in his home park, Misiorowski was the better pitcher. And it wasn’t close.
Brewers Needed Misiorowksi, And They Got Him At The Right Time
The Brewers already knew what they had, but now the rest of the league does too. Misiorowski went pitch for pitch with one of the biggest names in baseball and looked like he belonged. At 6-foot-7 with a fastball that explodes and a slider that drops off the table.
With trade rumors swirling around Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, Misiorowski’s emergence couldn’t come at a better time. The Brewers have to balance the present and the future, and if they do end up listening on Peralta, knowing they’ve got a guy like Misiorowski ready to go every fifth day makes that decision a little easier.
The Brewers haven’t had many pitching prospects come up with this kind of electricity. Corbin Burnes had to work his way into a starter role. Brandon Woodruff took time to figure things out. Misiorowski feels different.
What makes it even more impressive is how quickly Misiorowski has settled in. This wasn’t a soft landing. He debuted against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then faced the Cincinnati Reds, and now took down the Pirates with Skenes on the other side. That’s a tough stretch for any rookie, and he’s made it look easy.
There’s still a long season ahead, and adjustments are coming. But the early signs are undeniable. The Brewers might have something special here. And this is only the beginning.
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