Pitcher's Emotional Game
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski Shows Distress After Hitting Rockies Batter, Maintains Strong Performance
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski hit Colorado Rockies outfielder Tyler Freeman in the head with a 98.2 mph cutter in the sixth inning on Friday night, sending Freeman to the ground at Coors Field. Broadcast cameras caught Misiorowski looking away from the plate, visibly shaken, according to CBS Sports. Freeman walked off the field under his own power but was removed from the game as a precaution.
Despite the scary moment, Misiorowski finished seven strong innings. The Brewers won 7-1. The 24-year-old improved to 7-2 on the season with a 1.50 ERA — and set a Statcast-era record along the way, according to MLB.com.
Freeman Falls, Then Walks Off Under His Own Power
The hit-by-pitch came on a 1-1 count in the bottom of the sixth. Misiorowski's cutter sailed high and inside, striking Freeman directly on the side of his batting helmet, according to Larry Brown Sports. Freeman dropped to the ground immediately. After a brief evaluation on the field, he stood up and walked to the dugout. Pinch-runner Sterlin Thompson replaced him.
Freeman is now in the league's mandatory concussion evaluation period. RotoWire reported his status as "day-to-day" following the game. If symptoms continue, he could be placed on the 7-day Concussion Injured List, meaning he would miss at least a week of play.
Misiorowski Shaken but Refuses to Fall Apart
After the pitch hit Freeman, Misiorowski looked visibly distraught on the broadcast. He turned away from the plate and appeared shaken, according to Talkin' Baseball. But he did not leave the mound. With the bases loaded following the HBP, he struck out Jake McCarthy and Sterlin Thompson — both looking — to end the inning.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy praised his pitcher's mental toughness after the game. Murphy called it a "frightening moment" but noted Misiorowski's ability to refocus and finish the job. Misiorowski threw 98 pitches total, recording 8 strikeouts on 4 hits and 3 walks, according to Field Level Media.
A Record-Breaking Night Before the Scary Sixth
The HBP was not even the most talked-about pitch of the night before it happened. In the third inning, Misiorowski threw a 103.7 mph fastball to Kyle Karros. That is the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starting pitcher in the Statcast era, which goes back to 2008, according to TheScore. It broke his own record of 103.4 mph, set May 25 against St. Louis.
Misiorowski also threw 52 pitches at 100 mph or faster in this single game — the second-highest total in Statcast history, according to MLB.com. The pitch that hit Freeman was a cutter, a pitch designed to move sharply at the last second. At 98.2 mph, it was faster than most major leaguers' four-seam fastballs.
Cy Young Frontrunner, but Velocity Debate Grows Louder
Misiorowski now owns a 1.50 ERA through 13 starts — second in MLB only to Philadelphia's Christopher Sanchez at 1.46, according to Field Level Media. With 116 strikeouts in 78 innings, he is the clear frontrunner for the 2026 NL Cy Young Award. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer summed up the challenge of facing him: "If you're going to get an opportunity against a guy like that... you're usually going to get one shot at him to cash in."
But Friday's incident reignites a growing debate. With starters now regularly hitting triple digits, the risk of a dangerous miss goes up. Analysts at Baseball Bar-B-Cast said Misiorowski is "capable of doing things on the mound that no other starting pitcher in the sport" can do — but warned his "lack of polish" occasionally leads to dangerous misses. MLB faces increasing pressure to address safety as the velocity arms race accelerates.
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