Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski won the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, becoming the 17th pitcher in league history to receive the honor by a unanimous vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander earned the distinction just 17 months after his major league debut.
Misiorowski led all major league starters in several key categories, including a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts. His efficiency on the mound set a high bar for voters, as he also paced the league with a 0.80 WHIP and a .157 opponent batting average. According to official records, that batting average is the lowest for a starting pitcher in a full season since tracking began.
Advanced metrics showed his performance. He led the majors in FIP at 2.17 and posted an adjusted ERA of 232. Statcast data also placed him at the top of the league in all expected pitching categories.
The Brewers pitcher reached a top speed of 105.5 mph during the season. No other starting pitcher has recorded such velocity since pitch tracking became standard in 1988.
This award marks the second year a National League pitcher has won the honor unanimously, following Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.
“He has progressed a lot since last year, when he was a kid with huge capacity and a lot of natural talent,” said Brewers captain Christian Yelich last month. “I think he has come a long way in terms of knowing himself as a pitcher, and I think he is still learning in many aspects.”
FULL INTERVIEW: Jacob Misiorowski talks about winning his first NL Cy Young Award on @MLBNetwork 🔥 pic.twitter.com/A9wtELZqr8
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