Milwaukee Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski isn’t just leading the National League Cy Young race; he is holding it hostage. Through 15 starts, the 6-foot-7 ace known simply as “The Miz” has made it where no other NL pitcher could come close to him in the chase for Cy Young favorite. The calendar hasn’t even flipped to July yet, but the winner has already been picked.
Misiorowski Is Pitching In A League Of His Own
To understand why Misiorowski deserves the NL Cy Young Award, one must look past the flashy headlines and dive into the sheer, suffocating dominance of his numbers. Through 15 starts, he boasts an 8–3 record, a microscopic 1.45 ERA, an amazing 0.75 WHIP, and a league-leading 138 strikeouts across 93 innings. To put that in perspective, an average hitter would be more likely to strike out than score a run or even get a hit off of Misiorowski.
If Misiorowski’s outlandish ERA isn’t enough to give him the award, consider what took place on June 12, 2026 — the anniversary of his Major League debut. Facing the dangerous Philadelphia Phillies, who are in second place in the NL East standings, Misiorowski delivered a masterpiece that is guaranteed to be talked about long after he retires and is inducted into the Hall of Fame. He threw a Maddux, which is a complete-game shutout in under 100 pitches.
During that breathtaking performance, Misiorowski only allowed one hit, a single by Kyle Schwarber, and struck out 15 batters in 95 pitches. He faced the absolute minimum of 27 batters, and it was a terrifying display of efficiency and power that made everyone’s jaws drop. That kind of performance makes him more of an award frontrunner.
In that same June 12 masterpiece, he uncorked a 104.5 mph fastball, shattering the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a starting pitcher in the tracking era – which began in 2008. One week later, against the first-place Atlanta Braves, he threw 47 pitches clocked at 101 mph or faster, setting another single-game record. Even with the Brewers losing, Misiorowski’s season stats didn’t plummet to rock bottom and merely took a tiny scratch. This little blemish doesn’t affect his season as a whole, which is worthy of the Cy Young Award.
The National League Cy Young Field Is Already Out of Reach
To truly understand how far ahead Misiorowski is in the Cy Young chase, compare him to a veteran pitcher who would also be talked about in the race. Zack Wheeler is having a stellar year for the Phillies with a 2.01 ERA currently and a 0.85 WHIP in 62.2 innings pitched. Wheeler’s stats are impressive and deserve applause, but Misiorowski is running circles around Wheeler.
Not only does Misiorowski have more innings pitched and strikeouts than Wheeler, but he also has a higher WAR at 4.2 compared to Wheeler’s 3.2. He also boasts a higher strikeout-to-walk ratio than Wheeler. Misiorowski hasn’t just built a lead over elite veterans like Wheeler; he has put them in the rearview mirror with no way of catching up.
At this point, the biggest threat to Misiorowski’s Cy Young chances isn’t other candidates but twists of fate. Whether that’s injury or a limited workload for the rest of the season. Based on performance alone, there’s no reason Misiorowski doesn’t get the Cy Young Award.
