With the Brewers Bullpen Cracking, All Eyes Turn Toward Jacob Misiorowski

Bring him up in September if he has a couple more decent starts in AA.  He is only at 70ish innings so we won't have to worry about load management. If we want to have a chance at making a run in the playoffs Misi will give us a better chance than bringing up Clayton Andrews. It won't affect controllable years or rookie status because I would guess you start him in AA/AAA next year anyway.

I am 100% in favor of this. Start him in a few low leverage situations and see how he does. He has a chance to be a massive game changer out of the pen if his control improves. The stuff is definitely there.

I just don't think he's ready. His last outing was eye-popping for sure. But one of the things you want a guy with his velocity to be able to do is effectively own the inner half of the plate, and I don't think he's comfortable enough doing that yet. In his last two outings he's hit 5 men. That's on top of the walks. If they look for reinforcements I think Lauer might be next man up.

The counterpoint is that I was confident Uribe wasn't ready yet either, and he shut me up pretty effectively😛.

I could see Misiorowski taking the "Spencer Strider path". Start your first full year in A ball and end it in the bullpen during a playoff race. Pretty similar pitchers (i.e., piling up an astronomical # of Ks with devastating heaters), with Misiorowski probably having the better stuff/arsenal and Strider having the better command at this stage. 

Which would put Mis in AAA or the majors to start next season. I'd be for that. 

This came up on another thread and...I'll just reiterate my objection.

Misiorowski has thrown 21 IP in AA. He has 11 HBP in 5 starts(2,4,0,3,2) and he has another 16 BBs to go with 17 hits allowed. So that's 44 runners allowed in 21 IP. His WHIP is 1.57, but obviously Whip doesn't account for HBP.

So add that and we're at about 2.1 "Whip." He's electric, but so is Thyago Vieira for example. He's got that triple digit fastball and a nasty slider and he's performed better in AAA than Misiorowski has at AA(albeit in limited innings). 

Vieira- 3.48 ERA in ~35 IP in AAA he has 3 HBP, 15 BB, Whip of 1.37, 44 Ks so he's a big strikeout pitcher. He's got electric stuff, a nasty slider. 

But we're not clamoring for him because...he's not an exciting young prospect. 

You'd need to add him to 40 man well before it's really necessary, you'd start his clock(even if it's a insignificant amount of service time) and you'd burn an option. 

The Burnes and Woodruff comps will be made, but while Misiorowski is a better pitching prospect than either, he's also a much more raw prospect.

He's more comparable at THIS point to Josh Hader when they brought him up(though Hader was throwing better...especially when you factor in that AAA was Col Springs).

And THAT is when Hader went from a starting pitching prospect in 2017(63rd rated prospect) to vital piece of the BP. And that was great. Hader worked out wonderfully. But does anyone wonder what might have happened if we'd given him more time to develop as a starter?

This is the 2016 MLB top 100 Write-up for Hader when he was still a starter;

Quote

Though there's increasingly less concern about Hader's ability to remain a starter, the southpaw still needs improve his changeup and show he can pound the zone with greater frequency, as he still experiences bouts of wildness. But should starting not work out, there is little doubt that Hader could make an impact out of the bullpen thanks to his high-octane stuff and huge strikeout potential.

So he was AAA starter putting up a solid season. 

The concern for Hader at that time was being able to repeat his delivery and developing a 3rd pitch.

That sounds a WHOLE lot similar to Misiorowski at this point than it does Burnes or Woodruff. Both were established starters.

If they force him into the pen before he's ready, he could definitely have some success as a multi-inning reliever. But I think there's a strong chance he relies exclusively on his FB/SL combo, not develop the Change or the CB, both of which are well behind in their development and now Misiorowski becomeswhat? Abner Uribe?

And before you say "they can just move him back into the rotation," we've seen with Ashby, that's not always the best for a younger pitcher. I think it's hampered Peralta.

I think it only worked with Woody and Burnes because they were two workhorses who were further along in their development having spent 3 years in College, more of a track record in the minors, but MOST importantly, both had 3 really good pitches at the time.

So just my opinion, I'm leaving Misiorowski in AA the rest of this year, starting him there next year and letting him spend most of the year there, making him throw his CB, Change and Cutter more regularly.

As great as Josh Hader was, his value is always limited by the fact that he throws 1/3rd to 1/4th the innings a TOR starting pitcher throws.

Long story short, give this kid a chance to develop. He's got premiere stuff, but he's only a year out from being drafted out of a JUCO and he doesn't turn 22 until after the start of next season. 

#1 priority should be make this team better this year and;

#2-developing Misiorowski into a SPer. 

I really don't think either are best served. But again, I understand the excitement.  A guy who can throw 103 with insane movement, the Brewers history of bringing up pitchers to throw in the pen late in the year. It also makes sense...until you break it down(In my humble opinion).

Robert Glasser however? That one is a no-brainer. He can come in and throw a couple innings and easily transition back to the rotation next year. Hell, Carlos Rodriguez makes as much sense as anyone IMO.

34 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

But I think there's a strong chance he relies exclusively on his FB/SL combo, not develop the Change or the CB, both of which are well behind in their development

You’re still going with this nonsense? Stop saying his curveball isn’t a good or effective pitch. 
 

Here’s a quote from Just Baseball about Misiorowski’s curveball.

“The go-to out pitch for the big right-hander is his sweeping curve in the mid 80s. He has a decent feel for it, landing the pitch for a strike just shy of 60% of the time while holding opponents to an OPS below .400. The downward action of the pitch off of his lively fastball makes for a tunneling nightmare for hitters when Misiorowski is able to hit his spots.”

Why you’re so insistent that you know more about his pitch mix and the quality of his stuff than the actual professionals is pretty illogical.

Edit: Also just because Thyago Vieira throws hard doesn’t mean his stuff is close to as good as Misiorowski. His FB and SL bell are comparable but his pitch shape, release point, and extension are all much worse than Misiorowski.

20 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

You’re still going with this nonsense? Stop saying his curveball isn’t a good or effective pitch. 
 

Here’s a quote from Just Baseball about Misiorowski’s curveball.

“The go-to out pitch for the big right-hander is his sweeping curve in the mid 80s. He has a decent feel for it, landing the pitch for a strike just shy of 60% of the time while holding opponents to an OPS below .400. The downward action of the pitch off of his lively fastball makes for a tunneling nightmare for hitters when Misiorowski is able to hit his spots.”

Why you’re so insistent that you know more about his pitch mix and the quality of his stuff than the actual professionals is pretty illogical.

 

Edit: Also just because Thyago Vieira throws hard doesn’t mean his stuff is close to as good as Misiorowski. His FB and SL bell are comparable but his pitch shape, release point, and extension are all much worse than Misiorowski.

First of all...you don't need to get so emotional.

Second, you AGAIN ignored the...overwhelming majority of my post and the parts that were actually relevant.

Third, here's another scouting report;

Quote

 

The right-hander touches the mid-to-upper-90s with his fastball, producing a rising action and effectively missing opponents' bats. He also has a mid-80s slider that breaks out of the zone and baffles hitters expecting a heater.

He is also developing a curveball and changeup, both of which could become solid tertiary options within his repertoire. It's also worth noting that the 21-year-old has not allowed a single home run through 10 starts in pro baseball.

 

And a 3rd;

Quote

Brewers data analysts were ecstatic about adding the 6-foot-7 right-hander and his considerable arsenal to their pitching mix. The former LSU commit can touch triple digits and regularly sat in the mid-90s by late last spring, earning added points for his extension, spin rate and perceived carry up in the zone. As if that wasn’t enough, Misiorowksi also showcased a mid-80s slider with depth that often caught hitters chasing out of the zone when they got fooled looking for heat and a low-90s cutter that's even sharper. He only needed two offerings in college, but he has started utilizing his curveball and change more in pro ball, the former of which should benefit from his feel for spin.

Or you could go back and look at his futures game where he showed two pitches. A FB and a Slider. He's got a breaking ball that sure looks like a slider to me. 

And his outing at the Futures Game where he was showcasing his best stuff. That looks like a FB/SL with a mid 90s Cutter thrown in there. Not a dominant CB. But lets say it's a CB or a "slurveball." It's not a reliable 3rd pitch he can get over the plate yet.

THAT in all of your anger seems to be the point you're missing out on. You can't allow OVER two runners per inning as a high leverage reliever on a playoff team.

20 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Edit: Also just because Thyago Vieira throws hard doesn’t mean his stuff is close to as good as Misiorowski. His FB and SL bell are comparable but his pitch shape, release point, and extension are all much worse than Misiorowski.

And yet he's been FAR better at AAA than Misiorowski has been at AA...which is kinda making my point.

AGAIN, 21 IP and he's given up 27 runners via HBP and BB. 

The point WASN'T that we have to bring Viera up. The point was just because we've got a prospect with flashy stuff doesn't mean it's in his best interest or ours to rush him up. 

6 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

Or you could go back and look at his futures game where he showed two pitches. A FB and a Slider. He's got a breaking ball that sure looks like a slider to me. 

Well that’s total fiction. Also correcting your continued misinformation isn’t me being emotional it’s just being tired of you lying to make your agenda look better. I’ve never once said Misiorowski should be called up this year. I don’t think he should, but not because he doesn’t throw a curveball good or effective enough because that’s just made up nonsense

27 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

You’re still going with this nonsense? Stop saying his curveball isn’t a good or effective pitch. 

3 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Well that’s total fiction. Also correcting your continued misinformation isn’t me being emotional it’s just being tired of you lying to make your agenda look better. I’ve never once said Misiorowski should be called up this year. I don’t think he should, but not because he doesn’t throw a curveball good or effective enough because that’s just made up nonsense

No, you don't seem like you're getting emotional about this at all. 

13 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

And his outing at the Futures Game where he was showcasing his best stuff. That looks like a FB/SL with a mid 90s Cutter thrown in there. Not a dominant CB. But lets say it's a CB or a "slurveball." It's not a reliable 3rd pitch he can get over the plate yet.

Now, the MAIN point...he doesn't have a reliable 2nd breaking ball.

And to be clear, Misiorowski HIMSELF disputed the Statcast. 

Jesus dude...this is the 2nd post and my POINT is that he doesn't have a starting pitchers repertoire yet. Call the mid 80s to upper 80s breaking ball a CB.

He's STILL lacking that 2nd reliable breaking ball. 

6 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

I’ve never once said Misiorowski should be called up this year. I don’t think he should

So then we agree and you can calm down a bit. 

The bullpen is cracking?

1 hour ago, SomewhereInTime said:

The bullpen is cracking?

Terrible headline.

Almost like wishful thinking.

Biloxi's schedule runs through September 17th this year. Mis should continue to start there through the end of their schedule, and then move to Nashville for a start or 2, their schedule runs through September 24th.

As others have suggested, Gasser is the one who should get bullpen consideration. However, I continue to have (likely irrational) hope for Megill.

I wouldn’t bring up Mis this year but would strongly consider Gasser.  Mis needs to improve his command. 

5 hours ago, Never Outhustled said:

Biloxi's schedule runs through September 17th this year. Mis should continue to start there through the end of their schedule, and then move to Nashville for a start or 2, their schedule runs through September 24th.

As others have suggested, Gasser is the one who should get bullpen consideration. However, I continue to have (likely irrational) hope for Megill.

It's starting to look less and less irrational. 

10 hours ago, SF70 said:

Terrible headline.

Almost like wishful thinking.

Yeah when I see a dumb headline I usually just scroll past the article and don't read it since I expect the rest of the article to be really dumb as well.

7 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

It's starting to look less and less irrational. 

They showed some confidence in him today,  and Megill rewarded it. I hope he can keep throwing strikes, the stuff is there. 

17 hours ago, SF70 said:

Terrible headline.

Almost like wishful thinking.

I didn't even really think of that. But I...KINDA get the thinking. If you're watching this team everyday, you've got recent memories of Payamps and Peguero faltering and blowing leads, Chaffin really struggling and Wilson(that's mainly just bad luck).

Even Williams has a blown save in there. Peguero an ERA of ~8+ in the last...4-5 weeks.

It hasn't been QUITE as solid as just get it to Peguero, Payamps and Williams. 

But that's also comparing it to the scoreless inning streak. In reality, we've got Uribe who's coming on like Emmanuel Clase, a lock down SU/CL combo, a 7th inning man who's still pretty damn good on balance. McGill all the sudden looks like a stud, Milner looks fantastic, 

5 minutes ago, Never Outhustled said:

They showed some confidence in him today,  and Megill rewarded it. I hope he can keep throwing strikes, the stuff is there. 

No question.

A guy like that, it's all about just control. Not even command. You don't need to be painting the black, just hitting area's of the zone. Up with the FB and with that hammer curve, just start it over the middle. Just trusting his stuff. Small sample, but clearly they've got some level of confidence as they've been working with him for a while and he's gotten multiple chances.

The only thing left now is for one of the injured pitchers to come back and be able to give us a Inning or 3. Ashby if he can come back with the upper 90s velo, Lauer more of a LHed Wilson at this point. Or...Gasser.