Brewers' Misiorowski Ends Calf Cramp Era With Championship Start

Jacob Misiorowski’s postseason performance raised doubts about his sharpness, yet he emerged as the decisive factor for the Milwaukee Brewers in St. Petersburg. The 24-year-old right-hander started Game 5 on regular rest and secured a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, delivering the franchise its first World Series title.

Misiorowski entered the final game with a specific challenge: his previous playoff starts had been solid but lacked the dominance of his regular season, and he had not pitched beyond five innings. He resolved this uncertainty by taking a scoreless line into the late sixth inning before leaving the game due to a calf cramp. By the time he exited, the Brewers held a 4-0 lead that stood as the final score. He allowed only two hits over 5 ⅔ innings, joining Tom Glavine from 1995 as the only pitchers to throw at least five scoreless innings while allowing two or fewer hits in a potential clincher.

"It's awesome," Misiorowski said on the field after the final out. "It's awesome for this team, it's awesome for the city of Milwaukee. I just made it work. It didn't matter how we won tonight, just that we won."

Questions had surfaced after Game 4 regarding manager Pat Murphy’s decision not to use Misiorowski to close out the bottom of the 12th inning. The criticism overlooked the series context. Milwaukee led the series 3-0, meaning a Game 4 loss would have preserved a fully rested Misiorowski for Game 5. That strategy proved effective, as the lineup went scoreless in the 12th, leaving the starter available for the decisive game.

Workload management defined Misiorowski’s trajectory this year. In 2025, he threw 141 ⅓ innings across the minors, majors, and playoffs, setting a professional career high. This season, he finished with 193 ⅔ innings, a substantial increase that the Brewers carefully managed down the stretch to ensure he had enough fuel for the postseason.

His regular season numbers were historic. Misiorowski led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 174 ⅔ innings. He also topped the league in WHIP and strikeout rate while posting the lowest hit rate. Compared to his rookie year, he increased his strikeout rate, reduced his walk rate, and pitched deeper into games before workload limits were applied.

The Brewers now control Misiorowski through 2031. Manager Pat Murphy noted that while the team lacks a roster of Hall of Famers, Misiorowski and Jackson Chourio provide a strong foundation. Misiorowski is positioned to win a Cy Young Award after a season where he swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.