Jacob Misiorowski’s season has been built on power, strikeouts and the kind of stuff that makes hitters look overmatched. Lately, though, the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander has run into a problem he hasn’t had to deal with much since reaching the majors: the ball is leaving the yard.
On Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Misiorowski was tagged for two home runs, continuing a rare stretch in which he has given up multiple homers in consecutive starts for the first time in his big league career. It was a different kind of night for a pitcher who had spent much of the season looking like the clear favorite for the 2026 National League Cy Young Award.
The hard-throwing righty had been overpowering opponents with one of baseball’s most electric fastballs and a sharp ability to miss bats. But that dominance took a hit last Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, when he punched out 10 over five innings and still allowed two home runs that ended up deciding the game.
After Misiorowski had already carved up the Cardinals earlier in the season, there was plenty of expectation that he would bounce right back. Instead, the opener of Tuesday’s doubleheader brought more of the same issue from his previous outing. Cardinals hitters were patient, stayed disciplined and pounced when he missed his spots, turning those mistakes into two long home runs.
Even with the recent damage, Misiorowski is still piling up strikeouts at an impressive rate. The problem now is the home run ball, and that has become the storyline to watch.
The Brewers rewarded the 24-year-old with a place on the 2026 All-Star roster after a huge first half, but these recent outings have put a dent in what had been a historic breakout. Milwaukee is still sitting in a strong spot atop the National League Central, yet its push from here will depend on the pitching holding up. If the Brewers are going to make a real run in October, Misiorowski has to clean up the control issues and get back to the form that made him one of the most feared arms in baseball.
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For a Brewers club dealing with multiple bullpen injuries, that kind of track record makes obvious sense on paper. Chapman has also piled up 18 saves in 26.2 innings, which only adds to the appeal if Milwaukee decides it needs another arm it can trust in the final innings, though how aggressive the front office wants to be still leaves plenty of room for the deadline to shape the answer. [Read more 🡒]