Miz's fastball tops 102, but another pitch may hold the key in Majors

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Watching Jacob Misiorowski work for Triple-A Nashville on Friday left no doubt that he’s a power pitcher in every sense of the word.

The Brewers’ top pitching prospect struck out 11 while topping 102 mph on his fastball on multiple occasions -- the biggest velocity displayed by any starting pitcher in the Majors or Minors this season -- and the elite extension he gets on his 6-foot-7 frame makes it appear even faster. If that wasn’t enough, he adds the best curveball in the Minors and a devastating low-90s slider.

But Misiorowski is turning in perhaps his best professional season yet -- as he’s risen to become MLB’s No. 72 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s latest update -- thanks in no small part to a softer fourth pitch: a changeup that he’s brought back into his arsenal.

Misiorowski has toyed with a changeup before, dating back to his days at Crowder (Mo.) Junior College, but it’s long been a work in progress. He would occasionally use it during his first three professional seasons, maybe once every four weeks or so.

This spring, he worked with Brewers coaches during Spring Training to trust it more and command it better. The 23-year-old has had trouble pronating his wrist on the pitch, but with reps and data from the team, he's grown more comfortable with the circle change for Triple-A Nashville.

“It just adds to everything he does,” Nashville manager Rick Sweet said. “When you get a power pitcher like that, in my career, you see guys, they get high pitch counts early because guys foul them off. You throw a changeup like he has now, that's a swing and miss pitch, and that finishes off.”

Misiorowski has only thrown the pitch 23 times this season, according to Statcast, but it’s quickly become effective. He's garnered a 28.6 percent whiff rate on the cambio, not far behind his other powerful pitches, and it gives him a pitch with significant arm-side movement (16.3 inches) to complement his breaking balls.

Crucially, he unleashes the changeup at essentially the same horizontal (-1.69 ft) and vertical (5.29 ft) release point and with the exact same extension (7.4 ft) as his fastball. Coming out of his hand, it looks just like the fastball -- until it arrives 5.9 mph slower and with tumbling action.

“It's getting guys off of other pitches and letting me be able to throw those pitches where I want to in the zone with better results,” Misiorowski said. “Instead of guys sitting on my fastball and being like, ‘OK, there's a good chance he's gonna throw a fastball here,’ I can flip a changeup.”

The fastball and curve are still Misiorowski’s bread and butter. In his latest start against Norfolk on Friday, he punched out eight of the first nine batters he faced, just using those pitches. But as he navigated the lineup a second and third time, he brought out the changeup to keep hitters off balance -- they went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a single on the pitch.

Adding another offering has helped the 2022 second-rounder go deeper into games as well. He's pitched at least five innings in every start this season and tossed a career-high 6 2/3 innings last time out. Misiorowski still carries reliever risk since his 11.0 percent walk rate, while down from his career average, is higher than any qualified starter in 2024. But having that fourth pitch makes him harder to predict as he goes through lineups multiple times and gives him another weapon against lefties.

Armed with his new pitch, Misiorowski has a 1.49 ERA and 0.92 WHIP across 42 1/3 innings with 54 strikeouts, second-most in the Minor Leagues. He’s knocking on the door of the Majors, where he could be a difference-maker as a starter or in relief.

And yet it still feels like he’s scratching the surface on his changeup. Although his spin rates on the pitch are inconsistent, the difference in velocity and movement compared to the fastball makes it effective even in its nascent development. The changeup has only accounted for four of those K’s, but you’ll see him crack a big smile when he fools a batter with his new toy as he looks more confident than ever.

“He's definitely matured on the mound. Last year, he was still learning how it works in Triple-A,” Sweet said. “And this year, he’s ready. He’s like, ‘OK, I got this down.’ He’s almost on the mound in total control this year, whereas last year he was in and out. You weren't sure.”