When Paul Skenes steps on the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he’s usually the best pitcher on the field.
That wasn’t the case on Wednesday afternoon, however, as he was surprisingly outdueled by Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski at American Family Field.
Making just his third career start, Misiorowski got the best of the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year in their highly anticipated showdown. The hard-throwing 23-year-old blanked the Pirates over five stellar innings, limiting Pittsburgh to just two hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Meanwhile, Skenes struggled a bit in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 loss, surrendering four runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. The four frames were a season-low for Skenes, who allowed all four runs in during a rough second inning and departed after just 78 pitches.
Skenes finished with half as many strikeouts as Misiorowski, who outmatched him on the radar gun as well. According to Underdog’s Slab Lab X account, Misiorowski fired 19 pitches that reached 100 mph, while Skenes threw only one.
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Based on Wednesday’s performance, Skenes has some competition for his title as arguably the best pitcher in the NL, if not all of baseball.
Misiorowski is off to an incredible start in his career, going 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA, a 0.63 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 16 innings since debuting on June 12. If he keeps it up, he’ll likely win NL Rookie of the Year and receive Cy Young consideration as well.
As for Skenes, all he can do is tip his cap to the young flamethrower and try to bounce back in his next outing against the St. Louis Cardinals at home. Despite Wednesday’s disappointing showing, he still boasts an elite 2.12 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 110 strikeouts in 106 innings this year.
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With both hurlers playing in the NL Central, they’ll have plenty more opportunities to square off. But for now, the first round goes to Misiorowski.
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Featured image via Benny Sieu/Imagn Images