Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski has been tremendous through the first five starts of his major league career, blowing by opposing batters with an already elite-level fastball. MLB certainly hopes he can continue on to be another Paul Skenes-type young pitching phenom, but his recent addition to the All-Star Game hasn't gone over well with everyone.
Misiorowski was a surprise addition to the National League roster after Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd bowed out. While plenty around baseball have expressed their excitement to see him pitch in the Midsummer Classic, others have taken issue with the selection.
While he's only 23, Misiorowski seems to understand the situation quite well. When asked about the backlash to his All-Star debut Monday, he kept things in perspective.
"They're not upset with me," Misiorowski said, per ESPN, adding that he was also surprised by the pick.
"The last five weeks have been insane," he added. "I thought the All-Star break would be a chance to sit down and reflect. Now we're here."
While some of the criticism has been biting, with some of the most vitriolic coming from Phillies players going to the mat for their teammates Christopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, Misiorowski is spot on. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber said as much Monday, days after his teammates Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos called out the league.
"It's an honor for him that he's here, and it should be an honor for him. It's not his fault that he's only pitched five games and he got named," said Schwarber.
Misiorowski is 4–1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in just 25.2 innings pitched. It's a far cry from the traditional statline of an All-Star starter, but baseball is desperate to shine a light on its young stars. For better or worse, it has certainly done that by tossing the largely-untested flamethrower onto one of the game's biggest stages.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jacob Misiorowski Has an Incredibly Mature Perspective on Criticism of His All-Star Nod.
