Brewers' Misiorowski set for Opening Day after breakout rookie year

PHOENIX - Jacob Misiorowski made an immediate impression during his first few games in the big leagues, quickly earning attention for his fastball, presence and nickname.

Now, "The Miz" is entering his second season and looking to build on a breakout rookie campaign.

It was at American Family Fields of Phoenix where Misiorowski first turned heads, firing fastballs in the bullpen. In 2025, he carried that momentum to the majors, earning an All-Star nod and playing a key role during the postseason.

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"Yeah, I mean, I'm excited about it and, you know, there's always a positive of looking forward and seeing what's in the future, so that's all you can think about," said Misiorowski.

Misiorowski said his rookie season provided valuable experience heading into 2026.

"I mean it's an awesome opportunity to be in the position I was and you know, see all the stuff going on that goes into getting to where we needed to be but you know it's one of those things that you kind of, you take that and move on to the next like you were saying and kind of build off of that. It's not really, it's just like a learning block to jump off of," he said.

Confidence can shift quickly for young pitchers, something Misiorowski says he learned firsthand.

"I mean, you got to have, you know, some guys get out to a little rocky start and all of a sudden they're in triple A just… Like they're like, oh my gosh, I can't do this. And then, you know, you have you come back up, you have one good outing, you're like oh, there it is. I got it. Like, let's roll," he said. "So that's all it takes is one good outing to really change your mindset."

Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook says building confidence takes time.

"I think plan enough, as I have. And been through enough of these cycles that, you know, I think the empathy of knowing, hey, this is going to take some time, but we're going to get there, and trusting that we're gonna get there and always giving them the confidence that, yes, step-by-step we'll get there together," Hook said.

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Misiorowski says his competitive drive remains a key part of his approach.

"I always wanted to have the ball in my hand, but at the end of the day, it's not my say on what I get to do. And I'm going to go out there and perform the way I can and help the team win," he said.

Despite early success, Misiorowski isn’t ready to label himself a superstar.

"I mean no, no, not even close. I mean it's cool that my name gets, my hat gets thrown in the ring for that stuff, but no, I'm not even closed. I mean yeah, you can show Hay, Freddie, the guys like that that are just way above me, so it's fun to see," Misiorowski said.

Misiorowski, known as "The Miz," says he’s focused on continuing to improve in 2026. The right-hander was named the Brewers’ Opening Day starter and also had a big offseason, getting engaged and buying a house.