Well, you know what they say about baseball controversies – they never stay quiet for long. Jacob Misiorowski, the Milwaukee Brewers’ rookie right-hander, finally addressed the storm surrounding his All-Star selection after just five major league starts. And the flame-thrower didn’t just make the National League All-Star roster – he ignited a full-blown controversy that has Philadelphia Phillies players questioning everything they thought they knew about All-Star selections.

Want to guess why the Phillies were so fired up? Cristopher Sánchez’s 2.59 ERA entering Tuesday was fifth in the NL, while Ranger Suárez’s 1.99 ERA would trail only Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes if he qualified for the ERA title. Both Suárez and Sánchez were allegedly asked to participate in the All-Star Game but declined the invitation, making Misiorowski’s selection feel like a slap in the face to Phillies Nation. Trea Turner didn’t mince words, calling the decision “What a joke” and “f—ing terrible,” while Nick Castellanos compared the All-Star Game to the traveling baseball rodeo show that is the Savannah Bananas.

Tbh, it makes sense that Misiorowski would eventually have to address the elephant in the room. “They’re not happy,” he said of the Phillies players. “They’re not upset with me. There’s nothing I did. They were all nice to me. (The) The clubhouse has been good.” The young pitcher seemed genuinely surprised by the backlash, admitting he had no idea his selection would spark such controversy. “No,” Misiorowski said when asked whether he anticipated the blowback. “I think it’s one of those things that it’s just that’s the way it happened. It’s not anything I’ve done, and I’m not going to say no to MLB about coming to the game, so it just is what it is.”

But here’s the thing – the 6-foot-7 right-hander has struck out 33 batters in 25 1/3 innings, compiling a 2.81 ERA and 4-1 record for Milwaukee, while averaging 99.3 mph with his fastball and regularly hitting 100 mph or higher. National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts called including Misiorowski “an easy answer” despite the complaints. Five games. That’s all it took for Misiorowski to break the All-Star record – and break the internet along with it. His historic low game count has split baseball into two camps: the traditionalists screaming about merit versus the entertainment crowd who just want to see fastballs fly. But not everyone sees this as a statistical snub – some voices in the media are defending the rookie’s selection for reasons that might surprise you.

Tony Kornheiser weighs in on why Jacob Misiorowski deserves his spot.

While the baseball world seems split on Jacob Misiorowski’s controversial All-Star pick, guess who’s backing the Milwaukee Brewers rookie? ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser isn’t losing any sleep over the decision that has league figures and star players fuming. The veteran broadcaster stepped up to defend “The Miz” on Monday’s Pardon the Interruption, and his reasoning might surprise you.

So what’s Kornheiser’s blazing hot take that’s got everyone talking? The veteran broadcaster just torched every traditional argument with one simple statement: “The baseball All-Star Game is a television show.” Boom. There it is. While critics obsess over ERAs and innings pitched, Kornheiser’s flipping the script entirely – forget merit, this is pure entertainment.

Here’s where things get electric – literally. “This kid throws it 103. People want to see that,” Kornheiser fired back at the doubters. Picture this: millions of fans glued to their screens, watching a rookie unleash absolute thunder on the biggest stage. As Kornheiser put it, “This kid is going to go out there, he’s going to pitch in the All-Star game. He’s going to throw one inning, and he’s going to go over 100 throughout the inning.”

Now hold up – let’s pump the brakes on that 103 mph claim. Misiorowski sits at 99 mph this season, but honestly? That’s still enough heat to melt your TV screen. Tbh, Kornheiser might be onto something revolutionary here. Sure, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez has better numbers on paper, but when did paper ever make anyone jump off their couch? Want to know the brutal truth? Sometimes raw spectacle demolishes spreadsheet statistics.