When Jacob Misiorowski debuted in the major leagues last season, his velocity was already being talked about in reverent terms. In an era of higher velocity than ever before, he was still the Hardest Throwing Guy, the strongest arm in the strong arm era, the velocitiest of the velocity.
On Friday night in Milwaukee, he proved that once more, and lunged his way into territory no starting pitcher had ever reached before.
Facing the Chicago Cubs in the opening game of their National League Central series, the Brewers right-hander unleashed a fastball clocked at 105.5 mph to leadoff hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong in the first inning. Somehow, Crow-Armstrong fouled it off, but he would not be so lucky again. A few pitches later, Misiorowski struck him out.
Misiorowski’s offering was the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starting pitcher since pitch-tracking began in 2008. Only Aroldis Chapman has thrown harder tracked pitches in the major leagues, reaching 105.8 mph in 2010 and 105.7 mph in 2016. Ben Joyce also reached 105.5 mph in 2024, putting Misiorowski in a tie for the third-fastest pitch ever recorded under modern tracking systems.
The difference is that Chapman and Joyce were relievers. Misiorowski did it as a starter, in the first inning of a game he would continue pitching deep into the evening.
Misiorowski’s Great, Quick Outing
What made the performance even more remarkable was that the 105.5 mph fastball was not a one-off. Misiorowski opened the game firing missiles – his first pitch registered 103 mph, and his second reached 104, so the 105 on number three was no outlier. By the end of the first inning, Misiorowski he had thrown nine pitches at 103 mph or faster.
Six innings and 107 pitches later, he was still touching 102.8 mph. Most starters lose velocity as a game progresses; Misiorowski finishes games throwing harder than almost all relievers begin them.
Even without the radar gun, Misiorowski’s outing was impressive. He worked six innings, allowing only one run on two hits, striking out eight and walking four as Milwaukee won the game 6-2, with the only damage against him being a solo home run by Seiya Suzuki in the fifth inning. Misiorowski retired the first 12 batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the fifth. When he left after six innings, the Brewers (who had not scored through the first five innings) quickly rallied and turned his outing into his ninth win of the season.
The performance continued what has become one of baseball’s biggest rises to power. Misiorowski now leads the majors with a 1.45 ERA and 146 strikeouts, and earlier this season, he had already set the previous starter velocity record when he hit 103.6 mph against the Houston Astros, then raised the bar again with a 104.5 mph strikeout pitch to Kyle Schwarber. Friday’s 105.5 mph fastball simply broke his own record, the fastest starting pitcher since himself.
More To Come, Apparently
The scary part for opposing hitters is that Misiorowski insists there may be even more in the tank. The Brewers pitcher openly talks about his belief that he can eventually reach 107 mph.
Almost every athletic barrier has sounded ridiculous, until someone broke it. The four-minute mile, the sub-two hour marathon, etc. Baseball is no exception – for decades, 101 mph was considered untouchable. Then Chapman arrived and made it routine. Now Misiorowski is throwing pitches as hard Chapman’s hardest fastballs while carrying a starter’s workload. Whether 107 ever happens remains to be seen, but after Friday night, it is surely not impossible.
Baseball has always been largely dependent on velocity, and Misiorowski’s fastball belongs on the list of the best there has ever been. The radar gun grabbed the headlines, because of course it did, but the broader outing was just as impressive. Throwing 105.5 mph once is extraordinary – throwing it as a starter, maintaining triple-digit velocity for six innings, striking out eight batters and leading the team to victory is something baseball had never seen before. The hardest thrower in the whole of baseball is a very good pitcher, too..
Jacob Misiorowski Throws Fastest Pitch Ever by a Starter