Milwaukee Brewers fans have plenty to chew on after Jacob Misiorowski’s latest start, because the warning signs that had been building for weeks finally showed up in a loud way on Wednesday night.
A month ago, the velocity on Misiorowski’s fastball had already started to dip. The pitch mix changed with it, too, as he began leaning on his second and third pitches more than he ever had before in his career.
At the time, the right-hander was still stacking wins, with three straight victories coming against very strong lineups. But the trend line was heading in one direction, and it kept going that way in his next two outings.
Then came the night at Wrigley Field, where Misiorowski was batted around for the first time all season.
Misiorowski pointed to the weather when explaining what went wrong. The conditions at Wrigley were miserable, and he said the dampness made it hard to grip the ball.
“I didn’t feel wonderful, didn’t feel great,” Misiorowski said. “Obviously it felt soggy the whole time.
The weather played a factor in that, so I lost grip. I had to make it work.”
He also had issues with the mound, something that has been part of the challenge for the 6-foot-7 hardballer throughout his career. On the wet clay, that problem got worse with his landing leg.
“You start second-guessing everything,” Misiorowski said. “You start trying to make pitches too big and start trying to make things too spot-on. You have to calm yourself down and figure out a way to get through it.”
Even so, this wasn’t just one bad night in isolation. Misiorowski has had trouble in each of his last five outings, and that’s why the concern is starting to feel real.
At the same time, the baseline remains absurdly high. Even with the recent wobble, a struggling Misiorowski is still better than every other pitcher on Earth.
Still, the explanation here feels less like a one-off and more like a 24-year-old flamethrower running into the first real grind of a full Major League Baseball season.
In Other News...
Brewers Bullpen Turnover Takes Another Interesting Late-Season Turn
The Brewers bullpen shuffle picked up another wrinkle this week when right-hander Joel Kuhnel was claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had worked for both the Athletics and Milwaukee this season, logging 35 appearances overall and giving the Brewers a veteran arm who could be deployed in a variety of relief spots as the season wore on.
San Francisco is bringing him in with a clear immediate role in low-leverage situations, but the move also gives Kuhnel a chance to stick beyond the final stretch if he handles it well. For Milwaukee, it is another reminder of how quickly late-season relief depth can turn over, especially when clubs are constantly trying to find usable innings without losing flexibility elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Have Real Reason To Worry About Jacob Misiorowski
Jacob Misiorowskis last few outings have given Brewers fans something to monitor closely, and not just because hitters have started to make more contact. The hard-throwing right-hander has seen his fastball velocity dip while leaning more on his secondary pitches, a notable shift for a pitcher whose power arm has long been the calling card. Even after the rough outing at Wrigley Field, where he was hit hard, Misiorowski pointed to the weather and the difficulty of getting a good grip and footing on the mound as part of the problem.
The broader concern is that this might be less about one bad day and more about the grind of his first full major league season beginning to show. Pitchers often need time to adjust to the workload, and for a young arm like Misiorowskis, that adjustment can come with some visible wear. Milwaukee does not need to panic, but it does need to keep an eye on whether the velocity trend and heavier reliance on off-speed stuff are signs of fatigue or just a temporary dip in form. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Took A Quiet Bullpen Hit After The Cubs Series
The Brewers bullpen depth took a small hit after their series with the Cubs, with right-hander Joel Kuhnel being claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had been working his way back through a minor league rehab assignment before Milwaukee designated him for assignment, and the move opens another spot in a relief group that has already had to stay flexible as the season wears on.
San Francisco is bringing Kuhnel in for the rest of the year as an extra arm, and the Brewers now have to sort through the ripple effect of losing a pitcher who was at least in the mix. He had a 4.84 ERA with 22 strikeouts this season, but for Milwaukee the bigger issue is less the numbers than the fact that another depth option is gone at a time when every bullpen inning matters. [Read more 🡒]