Brewers Pitcher Throws 104 MPH in Near-Perfect Game

Jacob Misiorowski didn't think he had his best stuff on Friday night, so he decided to just throw harder.

The Milwaukee Brewers pitcher delivered what may be the greatest performance in franchise history, striking out 15 Philadelphia Phillies batters in a complete-game shutout. The only blemish was a single hit in the fourth inning, keeping him from a perfect game.

The 24-year-old rookie did something no starting pitcher has ever done in the modern era. He threw 58 pitches over 100 mph, including 31 that clocked over 102 mph.

His fastest pitch hit 104.5 mph when he struck out Kyle Schwarber to start the game. That's the hardest pitch any starting pitcher has thrown since MLB began tracking velocity in 2008.

"This is not a normal pitcher," said Brewers catcher William Contreras, who caught every moment of the historic night. The sold-out crowd of 40,205 fans watched Misiorowski mow down three All-Stars in the first inning alone.

What makes the story even better is that Misiorowski was honest afterward about how he felt. "To be honest, the first inning, first few innings, I feel like I didn't have it all that well," he said.

Instead of getting frustrated, he leaned into his strength. The 6-foot-7 right-hander just kept throwing gas, finishing the game in just 95 pitches.

That efficiency earned him a "Maddux," baseball's term for a complete-game shutout on fewer than 100 pitches. No pitcher has ever struck out 15 batters in a Maddux since pitch counts started being recorded in 1988.

Why This Inspires

Misiorowski's performance shows what happens when young talent meets opportunity and humility. Despite not feeling his best, he found a way to dominate, proving that self-awareness and adaptation can turn a good night into a historic one.

The anniversary timing makes it sweeter. Misiorowski threw this masterpiece exactly one year after making his Major League debut.

Over his last eight starts, he's posted a 0.17 ERA, the lowest in any eight-game stretch by any pitcher since 1913. That's over a century of baseball history.

Manager Pat Murphy called him "Forrest Gump-like" for his genuine, humble approach to the game. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio couldn't leave his seat after the second inning, mesmerized like everyone else in the stadium.

The rookie keeps pushing boundaries while staying grounded, and baseball fans everywhere get to watch history unfold one blazing fastball at a time.