Jacob Misiorowski will have to wait until November to see if his first full major league season ends with a National League Cy Young Award, but the Milwaukee Brewers ace is the runaway winner when it comes to oohs and aahs drawn on the mound.
The 24-year-old has thrown 1,053 fastballs over 100 mph this season -- 582 more than anyone else in the sport. Powered by that unparalleled heat, "The Miz" leads the majors with a 1.89 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 243 strikeouts.
What is it like watching MLB's next great flamethrower dominate the sport? Ahead of his final scheduled start of the 2026 regular season, we asked Misiorowski's teammates what stood out most about his breakout year.
'The velocity jumps out for sure'
Misiorowski joined Jordan Hicks, Aroldis Chapman and Mason Miller as the only four pitchers since pitch tracking began in 2008 to throw 500 or more pitches at 100-plus mph in a single season. But even those three fellow flamethrowers pale in comparison to Miz's total number of triple-digit pitches. Hicks is second on the list with 659 pitches at 100 mph in 2018, but he, Chapman and Miller were able to air it out in short relief stints while Miziorowski has done it in a starting role.
Infielder David Hamilton: "A starter throwing that hard for that long is incredible. I sneak a peek at the board. The velocity jumps out for sure."
Catcher William Contreras: "For some people, watching him pitch that fast is out of this world. Now that I've gone the whole year catching Miz, it's gotten normal for me."
Reliever Chad Patrick: "I got to see him pitch in 2024. He was bringing it then. You start to question when he's throwing 99. Is something wrong? But nothing is wrong. He's doing his thing."
Starter Brandon Woodruff: "I would reference [Jacob] deGrom because he's the closest thing to what he's doing. He's throwing fastballs to one spot, and you see how successful he is. You can do that. Just get it over the plate and you can expand from there."
Outfielder Jackson Chourio: "I start a game thinking I have to be active out there -- but no, you don't."
Outfielder Christian Yelich: "Often they know it's coming. Sometimes they get to it. Most of the time they don't."
'Like a flash'
One pitch stands out from the rest of Miz's blazing heaters this season: A 105.5 mph laser to Chicago Cubs NL MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong on June 26. It's the fastest pitch thrown this year in MLB -- and the fastest ever by a starting pitcher.
Contreras: "That pitch was like a flash. I'm thankful for him being on my team and not another."
Outfielder Garrett Mitchell: "It was electric. Every time he throws, we're expecting something great like that. I looked up [at another pitch] and saw 104. I was like, 'Man, this guy is throwing fuel up there.'"
Woodruff: "It's hard to hit 95, so 105 is really hard. I remember when I was hitting. No thank you."
Hamilton: "I don't know how [Crow-Armstrong] fouled that pitch off. That's the most impressive thing about it."
'That's a dream for a pitcher'
Just as the pitch to PCA stood out most to his teammates, there was one outing that rose above the rest as well: a 94-pitch complete-game masterpiece against the Philadelphia Phillies. The moment which rose above any this year came June 12 against the Phillies. Misiorowski struck out 15 while giving up just one hit in a 6-0 win.
Patrick: "The nine-inning complete game. That's it for me. Best memory."
Contreras: "That's a dream for a pitcher. Only 94 pitches too. One of the best days."
Misiorowski: "I don't know the last time I had a CG. I had a few in the minor leagues, throwing seven innings. Those don't count. That's the first nine-inning complete game. It was the pinnacle, for sure."
Infielder Joey Ortiz: "That game was pure dominance."
Yelich: "Sometimes you get a little laugh or can't believe it look from the hitters, especially when you play teams you don't see much. That happened against Philly."
Chourio: "Whenever he takes the mound, you're in store for a quick game and one that's in our favor. I was very proud of the complete game."
While his teammates have watched in amazement during his starts, those around Misiorowski have also seen how much work has gone on behind the scenes. Pitching coach Chris Hook believes that the effort between outings has fueled Misiorowski's breakout campaign.
"He's gotten so much better at it," Hook said. "When I see the good in the game, it matches what I see in practice. I'm not saying it wasn't important to him. I don't think he knew how important it was to him. Now, you watch his work and the intention is incredible. The intention and attention to detail."
Woodruff credits delivery adjustments that have allowed him to "get the ball over the plate more consistently" and let his most unhittable pitch be unhittable.
"Dude, you have the best fastball in the game," Woodruff recalled saying. "Use that sucker."
That control has helped his walk rate plummet, from 11.4% to 6.6%.
"He's in the zone more this year," Yelich said. "I feel like that was his final hurdle to becoming this kind of pitcher. The way he commands the zone better. The stuff wasn't the question."
Woodruff added: "Young, wiry, long levers. A lot of things playing in his favor. He took last year and learned from it."
What is Misiorowski most proud of (outside of the complete-game shutout)? The moment came recently, from one start to the next -- and both against the rival Cubs. On a hot and humid night at Wrigley Field, Misiorowski gave up five runs in four innings. Six days later, he struck out nine while limiting Chicago to a single run.
"I had a bad one then to bounce back like that was really good," Misiorowski said. "I don't think I would have last year. I would have spiraled and overthought the whole thing, like, 'Oh s---,' I'm facing the same team. That was a big one."
He stopped short of diving into any more memories of the season, knowing that bigger games are still ahead of them. With a division title wrapped up and another potential No. 1 seed in the postseason, Misiorowski and his teammates are hopeful that the biggest and best moments are still ahead.
"I'll look back on it all after the entire season is over," Misiorowski said. "There is still work to be done."
