Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is usually the one breaking records, but on Friday night, one of his records got broken for a change.
Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski was announced as a replacement for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd on the National League All-Star team, making him the fastest player in Major League history to receive his first All-Star selection.
Misiorowski has appeared in only five games since debuting on June 12, one of which was against Skenes. The 23-year-old outdueled the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year on June 25 in his third career start, fanning eight Pirates over five shutout innings in a 4-2 Brewers win.
The previous record was held by Skenes, who appeared in just 11 games before his first All-Star Game last year. Skenes started that game, and he will likely start the 2025 Midsummer Classic next week as well.
Misiorowski has been electrifying in his first five starts for Milwaukee, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. He was lights-out in his most recent outing, racking up a career-high 12 strikeouts against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
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Although he’s only been in the Major Leagues for a month, he’s already proven he’s All-Star caliber and one of the best pitchers in the sport, drawing comparisons to Skenes for his instant dominance.
Misiorowski is not scheduled to pitch this weekend against the Washington Nationals, setting him up to potentially appear in Tuesday’s showcase in Atlanta. The Minnesota Twins are the only American League team he’s faced so far, so most AL players haven’t seen him yet. That would give the young flamethrower an obvious advantage if Dave Roberts decides to use him.
If he does, good luck to anyone who has to face Skenes and Misiorowski in the same game.
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Featured image via Benny Sieu/Imagn Images