Jacob Misiorowski got the Brewers’ hopes up after tossing a seven-inning, one-run gem September 2 against the Pirates. That excitement may have been premature. He has not built on the outing in his two subsequent starts, and overall it has been a rough go since the All-Star break.
Friday, after the rookie phenom struggled through three and two-thirds in St. Louis, manager Pat Murphy suggested that Misiorowski’s leash has reached its run. Going forward, there is a real possibility the Brewers use him out of the bullpen to optimize his role in preparation for the playoffs.
Bullpen transition could help Misiorowski channel focus, remove pressure
Adam McCalvy of MLB.com got the scoop after the game, a 7-1 loss that dropped Milwaukee to 94-60 on the year.
It’s “certainly a consideration” to use Jacob Misiorowski out of the bullpen next time, Pat Murphy said, ahead of the postseason.
Murph: “It’s obvious that that right now he’s not on track as a starter, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be. He certainly will be in the future.”
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 20, 2025
Murphy made no bones about stating the obvious. Misiorowski needed 77 pitches to record 11 outs against the Cardinals. Although he only allowed two runs, he walked three, hit a batter, and left the game with runners on first and third. He also surrendered five hits.
More importantly, inefficiency has been a recurring theme. It has kept Misiorowski from going reasonably deep into games as a starting pitcher. Only three times since the break has he gone at least five innings. The length of those outings: five, seven, and five.
He hit the threshold last time out, facing St. Louis at home, but they tagged him for seven hits and four runs. In his last eight starts overall, he has a 6.03 ERA in 34.1 innings. The strikeouts are there (44), but he has also issued 16 walks. Misiorowski has also been more vulnerable to contact, allowing 33 hits. One way or another, there has been a lot of traffic on the bases.
Really, the command is what it all comes back to. On several occasions, Misiorowski has had his starts drastically shortened by single innings. The Cubs worked him for a 40-pitch first inning in his second start out of the break. Since the All-Star cutoff, he has needed an average of over 20 pitches for every three outs.
That’s a lot to pile on the guy – who is, after all, just a rookie – but it illustrates how he might be better deployed as a reliever in the 2025 postseason. As Murphy says, he has a future starting games, with ace-level potential.
For now, though, using him an inning at a time could work wonders. It could relieve some of the pressure on him and save his arm from unnecessary stress. It could help him focus on each batter without the worry of leaving something in the tank for later, or whether a long inning will ultimately shorten his night.
With all the pitches at his disposal, he certainly has a starter’s arsenal, but if one or two aren’t working on a given day, he can more easily shelve them and get away with it as a reliever. Moreover, Misiorowski’s 100 MPH fastball will translate just as well to the bullpen, where the Brewers have depth but, especially if Trevor Megill misses playoff time, could use another power arm.
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