Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misirowoski accomplished something done by only three other pitchers in the 21st century. The right-hander struck out 252 batters while only yielding a .246 slugging percentage.
That made him the fourth pitcher since 2000 to have more strikeouts than the collective slugging percentage of opposing hitters (min. 150 innings pitched), per MLB Network.
Misiorowski’s strikeout total is the lowest of the four, but that may speak to just simply the volume of innings. The Brewers ace threw 174.1 innings in 2026, which is much less compared to Martinez’s 217, Johnson 249.2, and Kershaw’s 232.2 innings.
Jacob Misiorowski Joins Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Clayton Kershaw in Elite Starting Pitching Club
That’s quite the illustrious list. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Clayton Kershaw are considered some of the greatest pitchers in the 21st century, especially during their respective peaks. The trio has combined for eight Cy Young Awards and 29 All-Star selections.
Johnson and Martinez have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, both being inducted in 2015. Clayton Kershaw will likely be inducted himself as the headliner of the Class of 2031. On the other side, Jacob Misiorowski is starting what could be an electric career should he stay healthy.
Armed with triple-digit heat, the 6’7″ right-hander took the league by storm in 2026. Misiorowski went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, falling two wins shy of the National League’s pitching Triple Crown. He threw more 100+ MPH pitches than the other 29 MLB teams, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg.
This postseason, Misiorowski hopes to do something those other three pitchers accomplished in their careers: win a World Series. Johnson is the only one to do it in the same season, sharing the 2001 World Series’ MVP Award with Curt Schilling.
Martinez and Kershaw would eventually win a World Series with the same franchise in a later season. Martinez was part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox and Kershaw helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win three championships in the last six seasons.
The 24-year old will attempt to join that group this postseason. His first start will come in NLDS Game 1 against the San Diego Padres.
What This Means for Jacob Misiorowski’s Cy Young Award Chances
Of the past three times that’s happened, two of them resulted in Cy Young Awards. Martinez (2000 AL) and Johnson (2001 NL) were recognized as the best pitchers in their respective leagues for those seasons. Meanwhile, Kershaw finished third in what was a very strong season for National League pitchers in 2015.
That speaks well to Misiorowski’s chance of capturing his first Cy Young Award. He’d be the fourth Brewer to win the award, following Rollie Fingers (1981), Pete Vuckovich (1982), and Corbin Burnes (2021) if he does.
Based on all metrics, Misiorowski should be the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Cy Young. He leads all qualified pitchers in RA9 WAR (7.3) and has a big league in Tom Tango’s Cy Young Predictor. He’s got an extensive lead over the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez and the Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale in both prediction metrics.
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