A Meteoric Ascent

To the casual observer, Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski appears to be a natural-born baseball prodigy. Over the last year, the 24-year-old has transitioned from a high-upside prospect to arguably the most dominant pitcher in the sport. Known as “The Miz,” the two-time All-Star now regularly challenges the limits of radar guns with fastballs exceeding 100 mph, captivating fans every time he takes the mound.


The “Baby Giraffe” Days

The journey to stardom was far from a straight line. Long before he was an MLB sensation, Misiorowski was a skinny, 14-year-old outfielder at Grain Valley High School. Brian Driskell, his former head coach, recalls the initial impression: “The best way for me to describe him would be like a baby giraffe. He was about 6 feet tall, just long limbs and skinny.”

Despite his frame, his arm talent was undeniable. As a freshman, he was already hitting 82 mph—a mark rarely seen at that age. However, consistency remained an issue, as the young pitcher struggled to find the strike zone during those early developmental years.


Growth and Transformation

A massive growth spurt between his freshman and junior years—nearly five inches—transformed Misiorowski’s delivery. Standing at nearly 6-foot-7, his unique wingspan and athleticism created a nightmare for high school hitters. By his junior year, he was dominating the competition, throwing two no-hitters and posting a 1.48 ERA.

Milwaukee Brewers scouts Riley Bandelow and Drew Anderson were among the first to realize his potential. Bandelow remembers being struck by his raw mechanics: “It was MLB The Show create-a-player stuff. The delivery was kind of funky... But when you saw him, the way his body moved down the mound, the athleticism, the flexibility, the explosiveness and the power—I’d never seen anything like it.”


Overcoming Setbacks

Misiorowski’s path was interrupted by the 2020 pandemic and a meniscus tear that cost him his freshman season at Crowder College. For two years, he was sidelined from competitive play, a massive gamble for any scouting department. Yet, the Brewers’ scouts remained loyal. “I’m basically sitting there for two years saying this is the best kid,” Bandelow recalled. “I had nothing to back it up with, so it was me and Drew just trying to keep him alive in the organization.”

His breakout arrived during his sophomore year at Crowder College. The velocity that had always been present finally found the zone. He went 10-0 with 136 strikeouts, proving he could control his elite arm speed. By the 2022 MLB Draft, despite many teams labeling him a future reliever, the Brewers selected him in the second round, trusting their internal conviction that he was a future frontline starter.


Refining the Edge

In 2026, Misiorowski reached a new echelon of greatness. With an MLB-leading 167 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA, he is performing at an MVP level. Much of this success is attributed to a change in mentality. “When I first got up, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to aim at corners and nibble,’” he shared. “But teammates told me, ‘Hey, your stuff is good enough to not have to nibble. Go middle.’ And I trusted it.”


“He’s just so wholesome,” Bandelow said. “He’s just a very real person. There’s no fluff about him. A really nice kid that somehow throws 105.”

Whether he is collecting Pokémon cards or throwing a pitch measured at 105.5 mph, Misiorowski remains grounded. As he continues to dominate, he is rapidly becoming the face of a new generation of baseball players, proving that talent, paired with relentless development and a bit of personality, can turn a “baby giraffe” into an icon.