Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski makes All-Star game in MLB controversy

New York Post

a day ago

Jacob Misiorowski may not even had time for the proverbial cup of coffee in the big leagues and he's already an All-Star.
In a highly controversial move, the Brewers' rookie flamethrower has been elected to the All-Star Game with the fewest appearances of any player in MLB history.
Misiorowski, chosen as a replacement for Matthew Boyd, has tallied just five starts and 25 2/3 innings, breaking the 2024 record set by Pirates ace Paul Skenes of 11 games.
3 Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski is an All-Star.
AP
'I'm speechless,' Misiorowski said Friday. 'It's awesome. It's very unexpected and it's an honor.'
While there's no doubting Misiorowski's talent, his selection raises plenty of questions about where the bar should be set for players to qualify.
Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has an impressive 100-mph fastball, but that's an extremely small sample size that doesn't even qualify him for league honors, such as the ERA crown.
Skenes, in comparison, had thrown 66 1/3 innings and tallied a 1.90 ERA to earn his selection. That's roughly 2.5 times the amount of innings and nearly one full run lower of an ERA.
3 Misiorowski broke Paul Skenes' record for fewest games before making an All-Star team.
AP
In electing a player with just five career games to his name, MLB is creating a very low floor for players to be part of the Midsummer Classic.
'Jacob Misiorowski is cool. Like really, really cool. 25.2 IP, 33 K, 2.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and an insanely bright future…but what are we DOING here?' X user and baseball commentator @discussbaseball posted Friday night. 'He's not a 2025 All-Star.'
Another reason for pushback has been that choosing a player with five starts means passing on others with a bigger body of work, which is heavily factored into awards voting, such as the Cy Young.
Yes, All-Star Game is different since it's a competition and doesn't count in the standings. There is, though, as Juan Soto noted, a financial component.
3 Some believe Christopher Sanchez deserved a spot more than Misiorowski.
AP
Making the team is still an honor to the players and, obviously, pitchers with three to four times the amount of innings have a greater claim to make for a spot.
Both ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jomboy Media's Chris Rose mentioned after the Misiorowski news how the Phillies' Christopher Sanchez is on the sideline despite being 7-2 with a 2.49 ERA spanning 107 2/3 innings. Sanchez's agent previously expressed his frustration with his client not being elected.
'I want to start off by saying Jacob Misiorowski is awesome,'Rose said in a video he posted. 'I think he's going to be great. … With all that being said, what is he doing in the All-Star Game? Five stars into his MLB career? Fewest ever for a guy to make the All-Star Team. Hello, Christopher Sanchez is on the other line and would like to speak to the Commissioner's Office.'
Passan tweeted: 'This is a Cristopher Sanchez appreciation post. That is all.'
The Yankees' Aaron Judge provided the counter, expressing excitement for the Brewers' rookie.
'He's impressive. He's got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he's a young pitcher,' Judge said, per ESPN. 'He's going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it's going be pretty cool for him and his family.'