Brewers' Pat Murphy Reveals What He Didn't Know At First About Jacob Misiorowski

The rookie has taken to his new role with a flourish

Oct 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during game five of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski isn't pitching like a rookie who lost his starting job down the stretch.

Though his struggles cost him an initial shot at cracking the October starting rotation (which, incidentally, hasn't really been a rotation at all for the Brewers), Misiorowski's first two playoff outings have been seriously impressive stuff.

After tossing three scoreless innings in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, Misiorowski rebounded from a home run allowed to his first batter faced to throw four very strong frames in the Brewers' 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 5.

Murphy on Misiorowski taking to bullpen role

Oct 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during game five of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Brewers manager Pat Murphy hasn't been afraid to tell it like it is when Misiorowski has struggled. But he had nothing but praise on Saturday night, saying the 23-year-old has responded to his new role better than he even thought possible.

“He's really proven something to me that sometimes you don't understand guys when you first know them, their personalities, that type of thing,” Murphy said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “I think he just decided like, 'Hey, look, I'm going to be the best version of myself for the boys.'

“And that's what our talk was today before the game. It's about the boys. Find your focus. There's a lot of distractions during this time. There's the pit in our stomach. That means something special can happen. And you do it for the boys. And I think Miz understood, 'I owe these guys. I've got to do it right.'”

Misiorowski threw 10 pitches over 100 mph, relying more heavily on his slider and curveball after allowing the homer to Seiya Suzuki on a fastball. His arsenal is as dominant as anyone in hte sport, but in the postseason, it takes more than pure stuff to dominate.

"The Miz" is showing the Brewers that he's not afraid of the sport's biggest stage. And that bodes well not only for the rest of this playoff run, but for the remainder of what could be a very special career.

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