The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 on Friday night. Jacob Misiorowski made sure it was never close. A 15-strikeout, complete game one-hitter on just 95 pitches is very rare. But Misiorowski did that, making a Phillies lineup comprising Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber look like Little League batters. The 24-year-old still sounded disappointed for lacking command, but that didn’t stop the Phillies’ veterans from acknowledging his dominance.

“I’m glad we faced him,” Inquirer.com quoted Harper, who struck out on a 104.1 mph fastball in the first inning. “I’m glad we were able to see that. Obviously, we’ve got a chance to play those guys in the postseason, so happy we were able to face him today.”

“Obviously, a unique fastball,” Schwarber added. “You try to adjust to different things, and it just kind of finds a way around you. You’ve got to tip your hat. Not much else to really say.”

The American Family Field was jam-packed with 40,205 attendees, and no one surely expected Misiorowski to complete nine innings. He did, and how. The night was a show of fastballs and how the Phillies’ batters looked unarmed in front of the fireballs. Misiorowski threw a total of 95 pitches, and 58 were triple-digit fastballs! 31 of those fastballs were 102 mph plus. This included a 104.5 mph delivery, the fastest pitch from a starter since pitch tracking began in 2008.

Misiorowski’s first strikeout of Schwarber was a 104.5 mph fastball. Then, Trea Turner got struck out with a 103.5 mph pitch, and Harper with a 104.1 mph pitch. Striking out three veterans with three fastest deliveries.

“It’s about the same as the Yankees, the Dodgers, any of those big-market teams,” Misiorowski said about facing the Phillies. “You want to throw well against them. That adds adrenaline to it, too.”

This was the most dominant game by a Brewers starter since Corbin Burnes struck out 15 batters in 2021, and it rivaled Ben Sheets’ legendary 18-strikeout game from 2004.

So, Jacob Misiorowski’s dominance on Friday was something that even Harper or Schwarber couldn’t be blamed for. Any other hitters would have faced the same.

“You know, I try to put myself in the shoes of the other [team’s] hitters, and it’s hard to do,” William Contreras said. “I would imagine it’s extremely different when you have a pitcher who is almost 7 feet in height, 8 feet of extension, and throws the ball 105 mph. I’m really happy he’s on our side.”

Now imagine that, despite such figures, Misiorowski still felt he was struggling early on.

“To be honest,” Misiorowski said, “the first inning, first few innings, I feel like I didn’t have it all that well. I was just hoping they would swing.” And to make things work, he pushed hard. “I think I was trying to push it a little bit to feel something,” Misiorowski added. “And it just started coming out.”

Friday night was all about Misiorowski breaking records. The Phillies faced his fireballs, and there are more teams on the line. If this continues, Misiorowski’s resume will have more than an All-Star selection by this year.

Jacob Misiorowski is heating the NL Cy Young race

Misiorowski is currently one of the co-favorites to win the NL Cy Young Award, with betting odds sitting around +180. He and Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez are locked at the top of the odds board in a tight race.

However, after his game against the Phillies, Misiorowski is leading the race. According to OptaSTATS, he is now the first MLB pitcher in the modern era to toss a shutout with at least 15 strikeouts, allowing just one hit and facing the minimum 27 batters. In his last eight outings, Misiorowski has a 0.17 ERA, a league-leading figure.

Misiorowski is now leading MLB pitching stats with a 1.34 ERA and 131 SOs. Paul Skenes is a distant 5th with a 2.84 ERA and 29 SOs. If Misiorowski stays healthy and keeps pitching like this, the NL Cy Young winner might just be decided. Still, his dominance comes with a few risk factors.

His over-reliance on fastballs could come back to haunt him. Pitch counts could increase, affecting his endurance and command. Also, keeping the same heat until October means a higher risk of injuries. The Brewers would surely preserve their young asset, but Friday was a gentle reminder for other teams of what to expect from Misiorowski.