A new player on the National League’s team for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game has participated in just five major league games so far.
Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who has demonstrated remarkable skill during his initial month in the league, was chosen for his first All-Star appearance on Friday. Having only started five games, he has the fewest career appearances of any All-Star before the game.
For comparison, Pittsburgh Pirates player Paul Skenes previously held this distinction, having played in 11 games before the All-Star break last season.
Misiorowski will take the place of Cubs left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd, who is scheduled to pitch on Saturday and withdrew from the Midsummer Classic.
MLB’s choice is likely to spark debate. The Brewers and their fans will be thrilled. Those who enjoy exceptional pitching will appreciate it. Casual observers will be interested. Supporters of other teams, with their own All-Star hopefuls, will be annoyed. These hopefuls may be very upset. The players who have to face Misiorowski in a high-profile game might be the most frustrated.
There is, of course, a reason why MLB is doing this.
Jacob Misiorowski appears to be one of the most electrifying pitchers ever seen in MLB
Throughout these five starts, Misiorowski has displayed the kind of dominant pitching ability that some fans may never witness on their own team throughout their lives.
It’s not only that his fastball averages 99.3 mph and frequently reaches over 100 mph. With a tall 6-foot-7 build, he also releases the ball closer to home plate than almost any other pitcher, reducing crucial milliseconds for hitters to anticipate the pitch. It becomes even more challenging when his slider averages 94.4 mph and his changeup averages 92.2 mph.
In his first MLB start, Misiorowski pitched six hitless innings before being removed due to cramping. In his second start, he threw six more no-hit innings before finally giving up a hit. He has outperformed both Skenes and Clayton Kershaw, recording 12 strikeouts in six innings in the latter game.
Across these five starts, he has amassed 33 strikeouts, while allowing 12 hits and eight runs. There’s little reason to think he will slow down, barring injury. His appearance in the All-Star Game will be worth watching.
Here are the pitchers who could have participated in the All-Star Game instead of Jacob Misiorowski
It’s important to remember that the All-Star Game is essentially an exhibition. The main goal is to gather all the players fans want to see and have them participate in a game that (usually) doesn’t count. It’s intended to be enjoyable.
However, the All-Star Game also serves as a benchmark for assessing careers and recognizing the game’s top players. MLB wants fans to be invested in it. A selection like Misiorowski’s is entirely without precedent, which will leave several players questioning why the player with five starts was chosen instead of them.
We will only mention a few of the 34 (!) pitchers in the NL who have pitched more innings than Misiorowski with a better ERA, according to Baseball Reference, with special recognition for Cristopher Sánchez, whose stats are even better than some pitchers already on the NL roster.
There are also pitchers such as Nick Pivetta, Spencer Schwellenbach, and David Peterson, who have all pitched over 100 innings with ERAs around 3.00. Clearly, Misiorowski’s selection prioritizes potential over demonstrated performance.
We’ll let you decide who you’d rather see in the game.
