Fastest pitches in MLB history: Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski breaks own hardest-fastball record

On Friday, while many eyes were waiting for Team USA to begin their 2026 World Cup campaign, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski quietly made MLB history.

In the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, the flamethrower hurled a blazing 104.5 mph pitch to Kyle Schwarber. Here's an side-note: it was only the fifth pitch of the game.

The MLB shared on their social media that Misiorowski's pitch was the fastest in MLB history for a starting pitcher. Along with that pitch, how does it stack up across both starters and relievers across the league's stat-tracking era?

Here's where Misiorowski's 104.5 mph fastball ranks in MLB history, and a look at some other numbers related to Milwaukee's young ace.

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Fastest pitches in MLB history

On Friday night, Misiorowski hurled a 104.5 mph fastball at Kyle Schwarber in the first inning, just five pitches into his outing. While the Pokémon card-collecting flamethrower just missed out on the all-time ranks in fastest pitches in MLB history, it is nonetheless an incredible feat.

JACOB MISIOROWSKI JUST HIT 104.5 MPH — THE FASTEST PITCH BY A SP IN MLB HISTORY pic.twitter.com/J9fXQauDeS

Here are the fastest pitches in MLB history in the stat-tracking era:

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Fastest pitches by a starter in MLB history

While the young Brewer just barely missed out on fastest-pitch history, the MLB shared on their social media that his 104.5 mph fastball was the fastest pitch by a starter in the league's history. However, this is far from Misiorowski's first time entering this list, as he has broken the record repeatedly to begin his career.

Here are the fastest pitches by a starting pitcher in MLB history since 2008. Spoiler alert, Misiorowski is a frequent on the top charts:

Jacob Misiorowski 2026 stats

Misiorowski has had a stellar 2026 season thus far. He is comfortably in the conversation for the NL Cy Young Award, which already has a strong field of Philadelphia's Cristopher Sanchez and Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani.

Here is how the 24-year-old has tallied up across the board so far in 2026:

Jacob Misiorowski contract details

Misiorowski is currently on a one-year, $788,300 pre-arbitration contract with the Brewers, according to Spotrac.

A pre-arbitration deal is typically for young players who are just starting out in the MLB. Players who have less than three years of service time often get these deals and have little to no leverage in negotiating a new salary. Misiorowski will be a free agent following the 2031 season if the Brewers do not extend him. 

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