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7 hours ago
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On June 19, MLB fans were teased with the possibility of watching two of the game's best pitchers, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, face off in the first game of a doubleheader. Instead, the Detroit Tigers unleashed Skubal in the early-afternoon affair, and the Pittsburgh Steelers threw Skenes in the nightcap. Each team won their ace's respective start.
Less than a week later, the baseball gods made up for their transgression.
Wednesday's slate of games was headlined by Pittsburgh's trip to take on the Milwaukee Brewers and rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski. The Brewers won, 4-2, after getting Skenes out after four innings and watching Misiorowski shove for his third consecutive start.
In doing so, the rookie starter showed that there are multiple paths to missing bats.
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Jacob Misiorowski's arsenal looks elite
Misiorowski has started three games, surrendering just two earned runs while striking out over a batter per inning. He's doing it with essentially two pitches: a fastball and a slider. Over 80% of his pitches have come from those two offerings, and it's easy to see why.
Everything Misiorowski throws is hard, but his arsenal is defined by a slider that might break the sport. Before Wednesday's start, only 25 breaking balls had been thrown at least 95 mph. Cincinnati Reds youngster Chase Petty has one to his name. Misiorowski has the rest.
He surprisingly didn't get any swings and misses on it against the Pirates, but his fastball showed out. Misiorowski is consistently averaging 99 mph with his heater and hitting triple digits with regularity. His delivery optimizes all of his 6-7 frame, delivering 100-mph fastballs from the league's best extension, releasing the ball closer to the plate and giving batters even less time to consider their demise.
Its vertical approach angle is similarly elite, adding to the pitch's deception.
Misiorowski also mixes in a curveball and a rare changeup, but his (mostly) two-pitch mix paves a narrow path to success. If a team sees one of his pitches well, or his command slips, Milwaukee will be in for a short outing and a long evening. He's already toeing that line, throwing his fastball out of the zone more often than not.
It's much easier to get away with a poorly-located fastball with an unprecedented slider. Misiorowski is daring people to hit his secondary stuff. For now, it has made him one of the scariest starters in baseball.
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Skenes, meanwhile, has seven pitches to his name: a fastball, splitter, sweeper, changeup, sinker, slider and curveball.
This affords him the privilege of filling up the zone and remaining platoon-neutral. Furthermore, it showcases his ability to evolve and refine each of his pitches. His splitter (or splinker, as some call it due to its elevated velocity) wasn't in his bag when he made his MLB debut.
With so many pitches at his disposal and quality command, Skenes is set up for long-term dominance. It's a more stable skill set than his counterpart's, and his lesser starts are bound to have a higher floor. Fans saw that on Wednesday, as poor defense and a high pitch count knocked him out after four innings and as many runs.
The Brewers faced the most feared pitcher in the National League. With Misiorowski at his best, they were able to go toe-to-toe and offer a starter just as dominant. The nature of his game is more fragile, but Misiorowski's unique arsenal has similar upside, making him appointment viewing.
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