Jacob Misiorowski didn’t waste any time putting his stamp on the World Series. The Brewers’ electric right-hander opened Friday’s Game 1 against Tampa Bay with a 103.5 MPH fastball to Yandy Diaz, and that first pitch instantly became the fastest ever recorded in World Series history.
That wasn’t the only line he erased. Misiorowski also blew past the mark for the hardest pitch ever thrown by a starting pitcher in the Fall Classic, taking down Noah Syndergaard’s 101.1 MPH heater from 2015.
Before Friday, Syndergaard’s pitch for the Mets against the Royals was the only World Series offering by a starter that had reached 101 MPH. Misiorowski topped that several times in the opening inning alone, with multiple pitches at 101 MPH or better and three that hit at least 102 MPH.
It was a fitting way for the Brewers’ breakout ace to announce himself on the biggest stage. In his first full season, the projected NL Cy Young Award winner was dominant, finishing with a 1.80 ERA across 30 starts and overwhelming hitters with a fastball that never seemed to stop climbing.
That kind of velocity had already made Misiorowski a regular on the season’s fastest-pitch list. He averaged 100.6 MPH on his four-seam fastball during the regular season and uncorked more than a dozen pitches at 104 MPH or higher.
For a decade, Aroldis Chapman’s 103.2 MPH pitch in the 2016 World Series had stood as the record. With Misiorowski and the Brewers back in the Fall Classic for the first time in 44 years, the number was always in danger.
On Friday, it didn’t just fall. It got blown away.
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Among the more intriguing possibilities is Sal Frelick, whose bat could become a sneaky source of power at exactly the right moment. On the other side, Yandy Daz has long been a tricky matchup for Milwaukee, even if the overall numbers against the Brewers havent been loud, and his ability to do damage in key spots could shape how much room Tampa Bay has to work with throughout the series. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Face A Huge Catcher Decision Fans Wont Ignore
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William Contreras is the obvious draw there. A three-time All-Star and one of the better offensive catchers in the game, he would give New York a very different look from Austin Wells, whose defense has stood out more than his bat. For Milwaukee, the question is whether a player that productive becomes too tempting to move, even if the return would have to be substantial. [Read more 🡒]