NEW YORK โ Jacob Misiorowski, a young standout in the world of Major League Baseball, faced a tough outing on Wednesday against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The hard-throwing Milwaukee Brewers rookie pitcher experienced the harsh realities of the sport, conceding back-to-back home runs as his team lost 7-3 in the second game of a doubleheader.
Having made a remarkable start to his major league career, Misiorowski (3-1), who had been a dominant force since his recent call-up, finally met a difficult challenge. In his fourth major league appearance, he surrendered five runs on five hits, including three walks, over 3 2/3 innings. Brandon Nimmo crushed a grand slam in the second inning, and Francisco Lindor, whoโs been in a recent slump, followed with a solo shot, catapulting the Mets to an early 5-0 lead.
โHe wasnโt in sync tonight,โ Brewers manager Pat Murphy observed. โYou could see early on that he just wasnโt in rhythm. There was a visible frustration as the game progressed.โ Despite his earlier stellar performances, the game showcased just how demanding consistency in the big leagues can be.
At 6-foot-7, Misiorowski has been living up to his reputation as an extraordinary prospect. He began his major league journey with an impressive 11 hitless innings and a scoreless game against Pittsburgh Piratesโ ace Paul Skenes. His remarkable string of performances included carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning against Minnesota and racking up 19 strikeouts over his initial 16 big league innings.
โHe has amazing stuff,โ said Nimmo, with a nod to Misiorowskiโs potential. The young pitcher had thrown 62 pitches at over 100 mph in his first three games, stifling opposing hitters with a .061 batting average against him. This rare achievement gave him more wins than hits allowed across his initial starts, a feat not achieved in the modern era.
Despite the setback, Lindor sees a bright future for Misiorowski. โHeโs really good. Crazy future ahead of him. Itโs going to be fun watching him and playing against him,โ he remarked.
The night, however, was an educational experience for Misiorowski. Struggles began when he walked consecutive batters in the second inning, followed by a high-bouncing grounder off Hayden Sengerโs bat that deflected off Misiorowskiโs glove, loading the bases.
Nimmo took advantage of this with a 96 mph slider for his third career grand slam, and then Lindor hit his 17th home run on a 1-2 fastball. Reflecting on the game, Misiorowski said, โI threw good pitches and they hit โem. Youโre facing the best of the best for a reason.โ
Misiorowski mentioned mechanical issues as the source of his struggles that night. โMy fingers were just a little off on the ball, leading to different spin.โ He was able to adjust after the challenging inning. Manager Murphy acknowledged the lack of sync in Misiorowskiโs motion, saying, โAll the arms and legs, itโs hard to align everything perfectly.โ
Despite clocking fastballs up to 102 mph against Lindor in the initial innings, Misiorowskiโs form didnโt sustain. โHe learned a valuable lesson,โ Murphy noted, referencing the fine line between dominance and mediocrity.
However, Misiorowski intends to quickly move past the experience. โUse the old Tiger Woods approach and move on to the next pitch. Itโs a part of a young career, and itโs better to work through these challenges now.โ