The Milwaukee Brewers recently had their young star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski named to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game as an injury replacement, but the reactions have been mixed. The Brewers clubhouse and fanbase are excited for him, but there are questions about whether he is truly deserving.
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Each year, pitchers drop out of the All-Star Game if they are unable to pitch, since they are pitching to close the first half of the regular season. In those cases, the league replaces them with other players. Misiorowski’s situation was no different. However, has made just five career starts, breaking Paul Skenes‘ record from last season for the fewest games played before being named an All-Star.
In those five games, he has a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts. He has also flirted with both a no-hitter and a perfect game. While he is electric and has the potential to be a superstar, some feel his selection is a slight to other deserving pitchers. Specifically, many Philadelphia Phillies players voiced their displeasure with Misiorowski being selected over Philadelphia starters Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suarez.
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“What a joke,” Trea Turner said, via The Athletic. “That’s (expletive) terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude.”
“That’s just how MLB does it now,” J.T. Realmuto said, per The Athletic. “Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But those two (Sánchez and Suárez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There’s no doubt.”
“Major League Baseball is really just focusing on the most marketable players,” Nick Castellanos said, per The Athletic. “So the fact that they can have somebody in the game that is going to basically blow out one inning and throw 103, 104 (mph), they’re going to get more eyeballs on baseball. They’re going to think it’s getting more popular.”
While Sánchez and Suárez are deserving, there are some details that play a role. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, the Phillies were told that for a player to be named a replacement, he must be available to pitch in the game. Sánchez was scheduled to pitch on Sunday at the time, making him ineligible. However, Turner thought that the league still could have recognized him as an All-Star if he was deserving, but was only left out because he was taking the ball for his team on Sunday.
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“That’s unacceptable that they can’t name him an All-Star and do the same thing (to replace him),” Turner said to The Athletic. “So the only excuse that that guy’s not in the All-Star Game is that he can’t pitch that day? That’s terrible.”
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Suárez turned down a late invite, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
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While the Phillies were outraged, the Brewers recognized what their young pitcher had done so far on the big league stage.
“I understand why some people feel the way they feel, just because it’s a small sample,” former NL MVP Christian Yelich said, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “But at the end of the day, this is the entertainment business. People want to be entertained. It’s a showcase of some of the best and most exciting players in the game; that’s what an All-Star Game is. I think Miz is definitely that, right?”
Manager Pat Murphy talked about how he initially considered telling Misiorowski to turn down the offer and have the league select one of his teammates, but then realized that was not what was best for Misiorowski or baseball.
“I think he understands,” Murphy said per McCalvy. “Like, ‘I didn’t earn this by going out like all these other guys did and pitching 21 games or whatever the number starts have been for a normal starter. This is a privilege, and this is something that they’ve asked me to do because it’s good for the game at this time in their minds. So I have an obligation to go perform.’”
Regardless of the criticism, the young star will take his electric arsenal down to Atlanta and pitch in his first All-Star Game.
Jacob Misiorowski Teases Playing for Poland in WBC Ahead of Matchup with Paul Skenes
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski pauses during a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
