Jacob Misiorowski has turned this season into a showcase of power, precision and pure weirdness in the best possible way. The 24-year-old right-hander hasn’t just been pumping 100 mph heat; he’s stacked up a line of numbers that looks almost unreal, the kind of run that keeps rewriting what a starter can do.
Start with the velocity, because that’s where the jaw-dropping stuff begins. Misiorowski enters Sunday with 1,053 pitches of at least 100 mph this season, the most by any pitcher in a single campaign under pitch tracking, which began in 2008.
The previous high belonged to Jordan Hicks, who had 673 in 2018. No other team has come close to what the Brewers have done here; this year’s Padres are second with 688 entering Saturday.
And it’s not just the raw number of triple-digit pitches. Misiorowski has taken over the strikeout leaderboard, too.
Before this season, the fastest strikeout by a starting pitcher under pitch tracking was 102.6 mph by Tarik Skubal on May 25, 2025. Misiorowski now owns each of the top 41 spots on that list, including seven strikeouts on pitches at 104+ mph.
That’s the kind of territory usually reserved for the hardest-throwing relievers, and even there it’s rare: only six other pitchers have recorded a 104+ mph strikeout under tracking, all in relief - Aroldis Chapman, Mason Miller, Ben Joyce, Jhoan Duran, Hicks and Mauricio Cabrera.
The single-game numbers get even louder. Misiorowski threw a 105.5 mph pitch on June 26, the fastest by a starter and tied for the third-fastest by anyone under tracking.
He’s also set records for the most 100-plus mph pitches in a game with 66 on July 26, plus 63 at 101+, 54 at 102+ and 33 at 103+. On June 12, he piled up 12 strikeouts on pitches at 100+ mph, three more than anyone else has ever done in a game under tracking.
For all the heat, though, the broader production is what makes this season feel historic. Misiorowski leads MLB in strikeouts with 243, in ERA at 1.89 and in opponents’ batting average at .160.
Since 1950, only three pitchers have finished a season leading MLB in all three of those categories, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: Mike Scott in 1986, J.R. Richard in 1976 and Sandy Koufax in 1965.
Misiorowski still has time left to add his name to that short list.
That .160 opponents’ batting average deserves its own spotlight. If it holds, it would be the lowest by a pitcher in a qualified season, excluding significantly shortened seasons, topping Pedro Martínez’s .167 from his 2000 masterpiece.
And even when you account for the offense-friendly difference between eras, Misiorowski still stacks up near the top. Using AVG+, which works like OPS+ by comparing performance to league average, he’s at 66 AVG+, meaning opponents have hit 34% better than league average against him.
That would put him tied for second with Nolan Ryan in 1991, behind only Martínez’s 61 in 2000.
Then there’s the WHIP. Misiorowski leads all qualified pitchers with a 0.81 mark.
It wouldn’t be a record, but it would place him in rare company. Among qualified pitchers in the Live Ball Era, only Martínez’s 0.74 in 2000, Justin Verlander’s 0.80 in 2019 and Greg Maddux’s 0.81 in 1995 have been better, with Verlander’s 0.83 in 2022 and Dave McNally’s 0.84 in 1968 sitting just behind that group.
Age makes the season even more striking. Misiorowski will be 24 years and 177 days old next Sunday, the final day of the regular season.
If he finishes leading qualified pitchers in both ERA and strikeouts, he’d become the third-youngest pitcher to do that since earned runs became an official stat in 1913. Only Dwight Gooden in 1985 and Hal Newhouser in 1945 were younger.
He’s also done this while limiting damage in a way that fits the whole profile. Misiorowski has allowed just 24 extra-base hits while striking out 243 batters. That would be the fewest extra-base hits allowed by any pitcher with at least 240 strikeouts in a season in MLB history.
And then comes the award conversation. The National League Cy Young Award won’t be decided until November, but Misiorowski has already put together a serious case.
This is only the second season of his career. No pitcher has ever won in his debut season, while five second-year pitchers have taken home the award: 2025 Paul Skenes, 2008 Tim Lincecum, 1985 Bret Saberhagen, 1985 Gooden and 1981 Fernando Valenzuela, who was a rookie.
With AL favorite Cam Schlittler also in his second season, 2026 could join 1985 as a year with two second-year Cy Young winners.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Is Suddenly In The Hunt For An Elite Defender
Wisconsin has quickly gone from an outsider to a serious player in the recruitment of elite edge defender Jalanie George. The five-star prospect from Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Arizona, trimmed his list to four schools, with the Badgers joined by Washington, Miami and Auburn as he moves toward a 2028 commitment decision.
The timing makes this one worth watching closely for Wisconsin, which recently landed a game-day visit from George and has clearly made up ground after not appearing on his first group of finalists. George is set to announce his commitment on Oct. 1, and the Badgers now have a real chance to keep themselves in the mix until the finish. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Has A Few Rising Stars And One Big Concern Before Penn State
Wisconsin closed nonconference play with a 54-10 win over Eastern Michigan, moving to 2-1 and getting a much clearer read on which players are beginning to separate themselves. Wide receiver Henry had the kind of afternoon that turns heads, setting a school record with 14 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Harris added three receptions for 89 yards and impressed as a run blocker. On the other side of the ball, safety Jung also flashed with an interception and strong coverage work, giving the Badgers a few encouraging answers as the schedule gets tougher.
Penn State is next, and that is where the more uncomfortable part of the evaluation begins. Cornerback Robinson had a rougher outing after being beaten for a touchdown and missing a tackle, and safety Burks mixed active playmaking with a facemask penalty and a missed tackle of his own. Wisconsin has momentum and a few rising contributors, but the upcoming matchup will be the first real test of whether those gains hold up when the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's Penn State Test Gets Tougher With Two Huge Matchups
Wisconsin finished its non-conference slate at 2-1 and now turns to the Big Ten grind with a trip into a Penn State matchup that already looks like an early measuring stick. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 and ranked No. 13, so the Badgers are walking straight into a game that should tell plenty about where they stand after the first month of the season.
A big part of the challenge is Penn States balance, starting with quarterback Drew Becht and a passing attack that can change shape depending on the health of wide receiver Jahan Howard, who is listed as questionable. The other key piece is linebacker Kalen Rojas, back from injury and giving the defense a boost at the right time, which only adds to the feel that Wisconsin is about to get tested on both sides of the ball in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]