Jacob Misiorowski Sets World Series Record for Fastest Pitch in Game 1

Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski set a new World Series record for the fastest pitch on Friday night, opening the Fall Classic with a 103.5 mph fastball to Tampa Bay Rays batter Yandy Díaz at American Family Field. The pitch surpassed the previous Series mark of 103.2 mph set by Aroldis Chapman for the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning of Game 2 in 2016.

Misiorowski's historic offering was clocked at 103.5 mph by MLB's Statcast system, while stadium video boards listed it at 103.4 mph. The 24-year-old right-hander threw fastballs on his first 10 pitches to the Rays, including two that resulted in singles. In a scoreless first inning, he threw fastballs on 11 of 13 pitches, reaching 100 mph with 10 of them and averaging 101.9 mph.

The opening pitch broke the record for the fastest pitch by a starting pitcher in the World Series since tracking began in 2008. The previous high by a starter belonged to Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets, who threw a 101.1 mph pitch in the first inning of Game 3 in 2015.

Misiorowski entered Game 1 after an 11-day rest following the Brewers' pennant victory. During a dominant regular season where he is the presumptive National League Cy Young Award winner, the young star posted a 1.80 ERA with 252 strikeouts in 174.2 innings and became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw 1,000 or more pitches at 100 mph in a single season.

Despite his regular-season dominance, Misiorowski experienced more modest results in his first two postseason outings against the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, failing to complete five innings in either start. Opposing hitters during the playoffs capitalized on his high-velocity fastball by adopting a disciplined approach and fouling off pitches at a high frequency.

Entering the series opener, Brewers manager Pat Murphy noted that opponents have analyzed his ace's tendencies closely. "People are up there thinking it's going to be 104, and I think they're elated if it's anything less than that," Murphy said. "They're obviously looking at an area. They're trying to exploit everything."

The Rays countered with veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, the team's No. 3 starter, allowing manager Kevin Cash to provide extra rest for top starters Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta. Game 1 marked the first World Series appearance for the Brewers franchise since 1982 and only the second in team history.