Brewers Win First World Series Behind 24-Year-Old Ace

A kid with a 103 mph fastball just delivered Milwaukee its first World Series trophy in 52 years of trying.

Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 ⅔ scoreless innings Wednesday night as the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5, clinching the franchise's first championship. His heart was racing, his fastball was blazing, and somehow the young pitcher found a way to control both.

The 24-year-old entered the game as baseball's strikeout king, having fanned 252 batters during the regular season. But in the biggest start of his life, he recorded just two strikeouts. The Rays made contact all night, they just couldn't do anything with it.

His first 12 pitches were all fastballs, every single one at least 100.9 mph. Three times the grounds crew had to pack down the Tropicana Field mound because his velocity was so intense. Then a calf cramp forced him out with two outs in the sixth inning.

Misiorowski shrugged it off. "Just a cramp," he said. "Happy I left it all out on the field."

This is only his second season in the majors, but he's already made history. His 37.9% strikeout rate ranks second-highest for a full season in MLB history. He finished 16-5 with a league-best 1.80 ERA, then spent October proving the doubters wrong.

Why This Inspires

Catcher William Contreras spent the postseason reminding Misiorowski that even young players can carry their team when it matters. "Jacob is still a kid," Contreras said. "He's still learning in his career."

But on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, that kid became a champion. He opened the World Series by throwing the fastest pitch in its history at 104.5 mph, and closed it by outdueling the Rays with finesse instead of strikeouts.

If he wins the National League Cy Young Award next month, he'll join legends like Sandy Koufax and Orel Hershiser as Cy Young winners who clinched a World Series.

For now, though, he's just soaking in the moment as Milwaukee celebrates its first championship after five decades of waiting.