Brewers’ Misiorowski sets record with 104.5-mph fastball

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski set a major league record Friday night, hurling a 104.5-mph fastball against the Philadelphia Phillies — the fastest pitch recorded by a starting pitcher since pitch tracking began in 2008.

The historic delivery came in the top of the first inning at American Family Field in Milwaukee, when Misiorowski faced Philadelphia leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber. Working to a 2-2 count, he struck Schwarber out on a pitch that caught the lower outside corner of the strike zone, foul-tipped into the glove of catcher William Contreras. The scoreboard briefly flashed 105 mph before the pitch was officially recorded at 104.5 mph.

What made the sequence all the more remarkable was that the record-setter was not an outlier within the at-bat. All five pitches Schwarber faced exceeded 103 mph, with a third-pitch called strike also reaching 104. In setting the mark, Misiorowski surpassed his own previous record of 103.7 mph, set days earlier in a win over the Colorado Rockies. According to MLB.com, he now holds the four fastest pitches thrown by a starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era, postseason included.

The performance did not stop with the history-making heater. Misiorowski completed the shutout — allowing one hit and striking out 15 batters in a 6-0 victory, throwing 58 pitches at or above 100 mph. He entered the game leading the National League in ERA (1.50), strikeouts and WHIP (0.808) across 13 starts.

The overall MLB velocity record, however, remains well out of reach. That mark belongs to Boston Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman, who threw a 105.8-mph fastball against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 24, 2010, while pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in his rookie season — a pitch Guinness World Records officially recognizes as the fastest ever measured in professional baseball.

Misiorowski, 24, is in his first full major league season after earning an All-Star selection as a rookie in 2025. He is under a one-year, pre-arbitration contract worth $788,300 and has drawn early consideration for the NL Cy Young Award.