Aaron Judge has faced the best pitchers baseball has to offer, but even he was left speechless after stepping into the batter's box against Jacob Misiorowski. The Yankees captain didn't just tip his cap—he delivered a ringing endorsement that has the baseball world buzzing.
On May 8 at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers' 23-year-old right-hander put on a show that had Judge singing his praises the very next day. "He's definitely up there at the top of the list with a lot of the great pitchers I've seen over the years, but also in the game right now," Judge said, setting the stage for what would become a defining moment in Misiorowski's young career.
And what a moment it was. Misiorowski carved through the Yankees lineup with surgical precision, tossing six scoreless innings while striking out 11 batters. His fastball averaged an eye-popping 101.1 mph, but it was his head-to-head battles with Judge that stole the show. In their first encounter in the top of the first inning, Misiorowski unleashed four consecutive fastballs, each topping 103 mph. The final pitch clocked in at 103.6 mph—the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starting pitcher in the pitch tracking era since 2008. For context, his four fastballs at 103 mph in that single at-bat outnumbered every other starting pitcher's combined total in that span.
Judge went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Misiorowski's face-melting heat, and he didn't hesitate to give credit where it's due. "One of the best fastballs I've ever seen," Judge said, a statement that carries serious weight coming from a three-time American League MVP and one of the game's most feared hitters. "Incredible young pitcher. He was an all-star last year for a reason. Anyone that can run it up to 103 miles an hour and have some good feel for that, plus his two off-speed pitches, man, it definitely makes for a tough, tough at-bat and a long day."
Misiorowski got Judge to line out to right to end their first showdown, then blew him away in each subsequent at-bat. For a pitcher still establishing himself in the big leagues, earning that kind of respect from the best hitter on the planet is no small feat. It's the kind of performance that makes you want to grab a jersey and watch history unfold. Whether you're a Brewers fan or just love seeing young talent rise to the occasion, Misiorowski is proving he belongs among the elite—and Aaron Judge is convinced.