‘Real Turning Point’: How Last Year’s NLCS Loss Shaped Jacob Misiorowski

LOS ANGELES — As a wide-eyed 23-year-old who took Major League Baseball by storm last summer, Jacob Misiorowski seemed in awe of his circumstances. In his big-league debut against the Cardinals last June, the Missouri native watched Nolan Arenado step to the plate against him and almost couldn’t believe it, though Misiorowski did not let his new reality overwhelm him. He threw five scoreless innings in his first MLB start and was named an All-Star just five appearances into his big-league career, to the excitement of some and the indignation of others. The wonderstruck rookie looked spellbound watching Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman sign his All-Star jersey in Atlanta. One year later, now the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young Award, no one can question Misiorowski’s place among the league’s elite as he continues what has been one of the most overpowering seasons from a starting pitcher in baseball history. And yet, as he returns to Dodger Stadium to face Ohtani, Freeman and the Dodgers for the first time since pitching against the back-to-back champs in last year’s NLCS, the Milwaukee ace’s wide-eyed innocence remains. This all still feels a bit like a dream to Misiorowski. “I don’t think it will ever get to a point where it’s just normal,” Misiorowski told me ahead of his start Saturday. “We’re at Dodger Stadium. This is sweet. As a little kid, I remember walking in when there wasn’t even a game and going up to the team store and seeing the stadium. It’s so cool to be down here.” Misiorowski, however, never let his feelings of wonder and astonishment overtake him. In his last start before the All-Star Game last July, he shook off a leadoff home run from Ohtani on an 0-2 curveball that caught too much of the plate to outduel Clayton Kershaw while striking out 12 Dodgers batters in a 3-1 Brewers win. He followed that performance up with a scoreless inning of relief at the All-Star Game. But growing pains loomed, as they do with every young pitcher. The Brewers monitored Misiorowski’s usage down the stretch, and his performances became inconsistent. Long at-bats and free passes led to high pitch counts and early removals. He had an ERA over 5.00 in the second half, and he was used as a bulk reliever in the postseason. And he starred in the role. Misiorowski finished his first postseason with a 1.50 ERA in 12 playoff innings. In his final outing of the 2025 playoffs, MIsiorowski gave up just two runs (one earned) while striking out nine batters over five innings in Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium. In his final appearance against Ohtani, he sent the MVP back to the dugout swinging. “To be able to do that on a huge stage against the World Series champions has got to build confidence for him,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold told me. “To be able to say, ‘Hey, I was able to survive at the highest level against the best competition,’ it’s got to be a huge boost for him moving forward.” Though Misiorowski ultimately suffered the loss in that game as the Brewers’ overmatched offense put up just one run in defeat, his individual performance did indeed have lasting effects. “That was the real turning point last year,” Misiorowski told me. “I went through the struggles at the end of the year, and really was trying to battle through it. Then, postseason rolled around, had the success and kind of brought it into this year, still on that momentum.” As Misiorowski returns to Los Angeles this weekend to face the Dodgers for the first time since last year’s playoffs, he does so with a different pedigree. He is no longer just a hard thrower with promise. “It’s a fair take that he’s probably the best pitcher in baseball,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s going to get his strikeouts. He’s incredibly talented. I think you just got to kind of fight, get the pitch count up. I don’t know if there’s much of a lesson to be learned [from facing him last year]. I really don’t, because how he threw that night is going to be different.” Misiorowski’s maturity this season is both physical and mental. He told me that he put on nearly 30 pounds from the end of last season to the start of this year, focusing primarily on adding more lower-body strength to prepare for the long haul of an MLB season. He has cut his walk rate nearly in half from last season and believes he is better now at reading swings and understanding why his catchers will call for certain pitches in certain spots. In addition to adding another tick of velocity to what was already one of the hardest fastballs in the game, Misiorowski also now has a separate cutter to combat lefties and a slider for righties. “He’s trying to be the best pitcher in the league,” Brewers catcher William Contreras told me. “He’s more mature. He’s thinking more like a pitcher and not just wanting to throw hard.” The result? Misiorowski leads all qualified starters in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and opponents’ batting average, among a litany of categories, as he gets set to pitch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday for the first time since last year’s NLCS. Misiorowski believes the familiarity with the mound and the backdrop will be beneficial, even if the pressure, stakes and atmosphere won’t be quite the same as his last appearance at the venue. And when he sees Ohtani again, don’t expect another hanging curve. Get ready for gas. “He knows what I’m going to do,” said Misiorowski, who’s averaging 100.6 mph on his four-seamer. “I’m going to throw a heater. Good luck. Here it is.”