Jacob Misiorowski's Stellar First Half Compared To Red Sox Legend, Hall Of Famer's Cy Young Season

Senior MLB insider Jeff Passan said that Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski's first half 'resembled' one Hall of Famer's Cy Young campaign

Reporters ask Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski questions during the All-Star Game festivities at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

MLB fans won't see Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski on the mound during Tuesday night's All-Star Game as the flamethrowing right-hander deals with arm fatigue.

The NL Cy Young frontrunner was a very deserving NL All-Star this summer though and ESPN senior MLB insider Jeff Passan wrote Tuesday morning that Misiorowski's first half has been similar to one Baseball Hall of Famer's AL Cy Young campaign from more than two decades ago.

"We've never seen anything like the Milwaukee Brewers ace. Nothing close. It's like if you took every elite reliever's best pitch and Voltron'd them into a 6-foot-7, 190-pound human," Passan said. "Misiorowski's first half, in many ways, resembled that of Pedro Martinez's legendary 2000 season. Pedro 106 innings, Misiorowski 111. Pedro a 1.44 ERA, Misiorowski 1.62. Both allowed nine home runs. Pedro struck out 140 and walked 20, Misiorowski 167 and 27. And Misiorowski can keep such righteous company because of the heater he throws 63.1% of the time -- and it seems like it works every time."

Let's take a closer look at the Miz's first half numbers and how they compare to Boston Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez's 2000 season.

Pedro Martinez's First Half Of AL Cy Young Campaign Highlighted By Almost Untouchable May

May 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Former Boston Red Sox player Pedro Martinez waves to the crowd prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Misiorowski enters the All-Star break with a 10-4 record, while leading MLB in ERA (1.62), strikeouts (167) and WHIP (0.76) over 111 innings (18 starts).

Petey went into the 2000 All-Star Game at 9-3 with a 1.44 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 140 strikeouts across 106 innings pitched covering 14 starts.

After a perfect 5-0 April, Martinez went just 3-2 in May, despite even better peripheral numbers.

The 2000 Red Sox offense was nothing compared to groups like the 2004 World Series-winning team and featured just two All-Stars in shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and outfielder Carl Everett.

Thus, Martinez suffered two hard-luck losses in May 2000, once despite a 17-strikeout complete game gem vs. the Tampa Bay then-Devil Rays when he allowed just one run and again in an eight-inning effort against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Martinez finished May with a 0.86 ERA across 42 innings covering five starts.

He was 1-1 with "only" a 2.51 ERA in June ahead of the All-Star break.

Misiorowski's first half was highlighted by a sensational complete game shutout effort vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on June 12 when he allowed just one hit and no walks while racking up 15 strikeouts.