Brewers Jacob Misiorowski Receives Highest Possible Compliment From Idol Chris Sale

It was a classic pitcher's duel between the Braves and the Brewers.

Aug 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) during pregame against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Friday night’s pitcher's duel between future Hall of Famer Chris Sale and Milwaukee Brewers superstar Jacob Misiorowski fit the billing in every way imaginable. 

Both pitchers got their team into the seventh inning. Misiorowski did so with a zero on the scoreboard and six strikeouts on his way to his 13th win of the season. Sale surrendered two small-ball runs, but struck out six Brewers hitters while flexing his elite command. 

Before the game, Misiorowski opened up about how excited the 24-year-old pitcher was to face one of his childhood idols. 

After the game, that very idol shared some of the highest praise a Hall of Fame pitcher can give to a young hard baller. 

“It seems like he's in a league of his own this year,” Sale said of Misiorowski. “It's probably the most impressive fastball I've ever seen. We knew it was going to be tough sledding tonight.” 

Misiorowski was taken aback by the compliment. 

“That's awesome to hear from a guy like Sale,” Misiorowski said. “He was definitely a guy I looked up to, and still do.” 

It Wasn’t The Fastball That Got It Done Friday

Aug 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after pitching six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sale praised Misiorowski’s fastball, but in fact, Friday night was the least the Brewers pitcher used his four-seam this season, as pointed out by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. 

“(Misiorowski) retired Ozzie Albies on a flyout to right field using not his signature four-seam fastball, but a cutter, and departed after 96 pitches with a 2-0 lead,” McCalvy wrote. “Of those pitches, 39.6 percent were either a slider or a cutter, a season high for that grouping.”

Misiorowski is a 64% fastball pitcher. He only goes to the cutter 13% of the time and the slider 11%. That makes Friday night’s nearly 40% usage a 60% increase. 

I’m interested to see how this trend continues in his first full year of starting pitching at the Major League level. Many have debated whether or not the new wave of high-velocity starting pitchers is sustainable, making the Miz patient zero. 

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