Jacob Misiorowski
Jacob Misiorowski

MILWAUKEE — Jacob Misiorowski opened the 2026 World Series with a 103.5 mph four-seam fastball to Yandy Díaz, establishing the fastest pitch in recorded Fall Classic history and setting an immediate tone in the Milwaukee Brewers' 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at American Family Field.

The 24-year-old right-hander's first offering of the series sailed high for a ball above the strike zone. Stadium video boards listed it at 103.4 mph, but MLB's Statcast system measured it at 103.5, surpassing the previous record of 103.2 mph set by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning of Game 2 in 2016. Chapman's pitch resulted in a groundout by Cleveland's Coco Crisp. Pitch tracking began in 2008, and the prior high by a starting pitcher in a World Series game was Noah Syndergaard's 101.1 mph offering for the New York Mets against Kansas City's Ben Zobrist in Game 3 of 2015.

Misiorowski did not ease into his first World Series start. Of his 13 pitches in the opening inning, 11 were four-seam fastballs. Ten registered above 101 mph, including five that topped 102 mph. Only one dipped below triple digits, at 99.8 mph. The Rays managed singles from Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson, but Misiorowski escaped when Junior Caminero lined into an inning-ending double play. He averaged 101.9 mph on his fastballs in that frame.

By the end of his outing, Misiorowski had thrown 38 pitches of at least 100 mph, the most in a single World Series game since tracking began. He touched 103.2 mph against Ben Williamson in the third inning and 103 mph against Díaz in the fifth. His final pitch of the night still registered 103 mph. He worked five innings, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts on 78 pitches, generating seven swings and misses before exiting with a 2-1 lead. Milwaukee's bullpen preserved the advantage in a game that ended with Trevor Megill escaping a bases-loaded threat in the ninth.

The performance fit a season defined by elite velocity. Misiorowski averaged 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball during the regular season, when he posted a 1.80 ERA and led the majors with 252 strikeouts. He has thrown more than 1,100 pitches of 100 mph or harder this year. Earlier in the postseason, he opened the National League Division Series against San Diego with a 104.8 mph pitch, the fastest tracked postseason offering, and threw 52 pitches of 100 mph or harder in that game. His career high is 105.5 mph, recorded in June against the Chicago Cubs, short of Chapman's all-time regular-season mark of 105.8 mph from 2010.

Before the series, Misiorowski addressed the assignment with measured expectations. "It's just another game," he said Thursday. "It's honestly an honor to be in that situation and be able to go out and try and propel the team to a win." He added that he planned to stick to his strengths after opponents in earlier rounds fouled off pitches effectively. "I don't think there's much at all that needs to change," he said. "I think I've just got to stick to my strengths and pound the zone."

Brewers manager Pat Murphy praised the effort during the game. "He's been really good," Murphy told FOX. "Just gotta give William a ton of credit because William can jockey him through — he trusts William, and that relationship has paid off in the first three innings." Murphy had noted earlier that Misiorowski "hasn't been as crisp" in some postseason outings but emphasized the pitcher's ability to elevate when needed.

The Brewers finished the regular season with baseball's best record at 103-59 and swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Rays, the American League's top seed, advanced past the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. Neither club has won a World Series, the first such matchup of first-time champions since 1980. Misiorowski became just the second Brewers pitcher to start Game 1 of a World Series, joining Mike Caldwell in 1982.

His velocity has reshaped expectations for starting pitchers on the sport's largest stage. Before Friday, only 13 pitches had reached 102 mph in World Series play during the tracking era, with Chapman accounting for 10 of them. Misiorowski's opening pitch and subsequent volume of triple-digit heaters expanded that list substantially. He exited in position for his first postseason win after starting Game 1 in each of Milwaukee's three playoff series.

The series continues Saturday in Milwaukee with Game 2. The Rays are expected to start Drew Rasmussen, while the Brewers will turn to other options in their rotation. Misiorowski's night provided both an immediate historical marker and five competitive innings that helped Milwaukee secure the early series advantage.