The Milwaukee Brewers confirmed Tuesday that Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, this Friday, October 23, at American Family Field. The announcement surprised no one — Misiorowski has opened Game 1 in every round of this postseason — but the real question still hanging in the air is whether the pitcher who absolutely owned the regular season (1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, 100th percentile in both velocity and strikeout rate per Statcast) can sustain that level when the biggest stage Milwaukee has seen in 44 years finally arrives.
Official: Misiorowski Opens the Fall Classic
FOX Sports MLB confirmed it on October 21: Misiorowski, 24, gets the ball for the Brewers in Game 1. Milwaukee hasn’t played in a World Series since 1982 — when they lost in seven games to the Cardinals — and the responsibility of writing that new chapter falls on the youngest, hardest-throwing starter in the rotation. Game 1 is Friday at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) on FOX, with the Tampa Bay Rays as the opponent.
On Tampa Bay’s side, Drew Rasmussen — a former Brewer, a storyline the broadcast will not let go of — is the likely starter, though the Rays haven’t made it official. Misiorowski comes in with 11 days of rest since his last outing, Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on October 11.
Regular-Season Misiorowski and Playoff Misiorowski Are Not the Same Guy
During the regular season, Misiorowski was simply the best pitcher in baseball. He led MLB in ERA (1.80), strikeouts (252), FIP (2.17), WHIP (0.80), and opponent batting average (.157) across 174.2 innings. His fastball averaged 99.7 mph — 100th percentile league-wide — and he threw 1,115 pitches at 100 mph or harder, obliterating the previous record of 673. At home, his ERA dropped to 1.52 with a 0.77 WHIP over 16 starts, never allowing more than three runs in any of them.
October, though, has shown a different version. In his two playoff starts — Game 1 of the NLDS against San Diego and Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers — he didn’t reach five innings in either outing: 88 pitches over 4 innings against the Padres, 94 pitches over 4.1 innings against the Dodgers. His postseason ERA sits at 3.24 with 11 strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
CBS Sports analysis points to a reduction in the induced vertical break (IVB) on his fastball: less ride means more foul balls, longer counts, and earlier exits. It wasn’t that hitters were squaring him up — the distinction matters — but he needed significantly more pitches to record the same outs.
The good news for Milwaukee: Misiorowski still throws the fastest postseason fastball in the Statcast era. His 104.8 mph heater against San Diego was the hardest pitch thrown in the playoffs since tracking began in 2008. And back at American Family Field, where he posted that 1.52 ERA this season, the energy of the first World Series Game 1 in 44 years could be exactly what brings him back to the pitcher he was from April through September.
The Numbers Behind the Arm
Misiorowski’s 2026 regular-season line across 30 starts and 174.2 innings:
- ERA: 1.80 · WHIP: 0.80
- Strikeouts: 252 · Walks: 44 (K% of 37.9%)
- FIP: 2.17 · xERA: 2.13
- Average fastball: 99.7 mph with 2,625 rpm spin rate
- Whiff rate: 37.3% of swings
- Opponent average: .157
- Exit velocity allowed: 87.2 mph
- Barrel rate allowed: 3.6%
Where he ranks across MLB:
- xERA: 99th percentile
- Strikeout rate (K%): 100th percentile
- Walk rate (BB%): 81st percentile
- Whiff %: 99th percentile
- Fastball velocity: 100th percentile
- Fastball spin: 99th percentile
- xwOBA against: 99th percentile
- Barrels avoided: 96th percentile
- Hard-hit avoided: 86th percentile
The regular-season case for Misiorowski is airtight. The October case is still being written — and Game 1 on Friday night is the next chapter.
