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Jacob Misiorowski has some of the best raw stuff in the minor leagues. He has a wicked fastball, a wipe-out slider, and a developing curveball. His control, however, is lacking.
The Brewers have continued to work Misiorowski as a starter, letting him go 3-5 innings each time he heads to the mound. The results have been mostly good. Forty-one strikeouts and only ten hits allowed in 27 innings is awesome. Twenty walks is not.
Recently, The Athletic published an article in which Jim Bowden stated that Misiorowski could play in the majors right now, and be very effective, as a reliever. Scouts and analysts have addressed this question for a couple of years. His stuff is amazing, but can Misiorowski harness his pitches to limit the walks? The Brewers seem to think he can, hence his remaining at Biloxi and in the rotation.
This situation doesn’t appear dissimilar to Josh Hader's when he came to Milwaukee. The team insisted he was a starter before giving him a job as a reliever, a role he thrived in.
The Brewers' dilemma is compounded by the club’s needs. Right now, the team is in first place, but they are doing it despite multiple injuries to their pitching staff (Jakob Junis, Wade Miley, DL Hall, Devin Williams, JB Bukauskas) and a rotation that does not go deep in games (the Brewers starters have pitched the fewest innings in the majors), which puts added pressure on the bullpen.
As the season moves on, will the Brewers relievers wilt under the weight of a heavy workload?
We should note that the relief corps has done a solid job this season (an ERA of 3.77), which is 13th in the majors. But that’s not exactly lights out like in 2023, when our bullpen had the second-best ERA in the majors. 2024 has seen some good performances (Bryan Hudson, Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero), some bad (Abner Uribe), and some between. Plus, the injuries to the starters have forced Bryse Wilson - a reliable bullpen arm in 2023 - into the rotation.
So, the need is there. Yes, guys like Bukauskas, Junis, and Williams will likely return - at some point. But the Brewers will need a lot of arms over the course of the season. Other players at Nashville can help - but none have the potential of Misiorowski.
In an ideal world, the team would acquire a quality starting pitcher—maybe even a good reliever. But the Brewers are loath to deal prospects or take on salary, which makes Misiorowski even more attractive.
So, do you make the call for Misiorowski? I hope he turns into a quality arm in the pen for the rest of 2024. He could be the player who comes in for an inning or two and regularly shuts down the opposing team. That sort of player can help the Brewers tremendously as they fight to reach the postseason. But in doing so, does it harm his development as a starter?
My next question is, are the Brewers honest with themselves when they believe Misiorowski can develop into a starting major league pitcher? The club insisted that was the case with Hadar for a long time - before finally conceding he was too good as a reliever. Of course, that’s an extreme example of this sort of situation. It’s probably not fair to compare Misiorowski to Hadar - there are likely so many differences that we - the average fan - have no clue about. However, it is hard not to see similarities in the situation.
Perhaps the club could convince themselves that bringing up Misiorowski and putting him in the pen would be a bump in the road for his development as a starter. He would benefit by gaining valuable experience and the attention of the major league staff. And maybe the team could make a clearer assessment of Misiorowski’s future by seeing him in a relief role for the rest of 2024 (assuming he pitches well enough to stay in the majors).
No matter the decision, it would be sweet to see Misiorowski on the mound for Milwaukee in 2024. His nasty fastball/slider combo is wiping out hitters. Add in the return of Devin Williams, and the Brewers bullpen could return to elite levels.
But I don’t think anyone can fault the club if they keep him on his developmental track in the minor leagues. Especially if the team feels he can develop into a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. And they certainly don’t want Misiorowski to get crushed in Milwaukee - and his confidence shattered. That can be disastrous.
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