We’ve witnessed several memorable duels in MLB over the years, but now, a new duel is brewing on the mound. One that involves the youngsters and not veterans, and one that has the potential to define the next era of baseball. Enter Paul Skenes and Jacob Misiorowski.
A sold-out crowd of 42,774 roared in anticipation at the American Family Field on Wednesday, as Skenes and Misiorowski took their turns to pitch. Guess who outdueled whom in this showdown? Well, Misiorowski came out trumps. But hey, beyond the competition on the mound, the sportsmanship remained intact, with Skenes reacting to his opponent’s heroics.
“[Misiorowski] did a great job. I didn’t watch a ton of it, but what I saw was pretty electric. Want the best for him, and looking forward to pitching against him again this year, it’ll be fun,” Skenes said after the game.
Misiorowski’s performance was worthy of all praise. In his third career start, he went 5 innings, gave up just 2 hits and 2 walks, and didn’t allow a single earned run while striking out six. The 23-year-old outpitched Skenes, who went 4 innings, gave up 4 ERs, 2 walks, and struck out four. These figures were certainly less decorated than Misiorowski’s.
It was only the second instance for Skenes where he gave up 4 or more runs. But he didn’t shy away from praising his opponent, which was remarkable. With the next Pirates-Brewers series set to begin in August, brace up to witness more such moments between the two LSU alumni.
Misiorowski also opened up about how he felt performing in front of a sold-out crowd, and that too against Paul Skenes. He seemed unfazed by the noise from the stands; rather, it worked in his favor! “That’s what fired me up,” he said. Well!
The duel between these two young arms has only just started, and it will be too early to write Skenes off already. He is currently ranked 8th in the league in terms of SOs (110). In addition, a 2.12 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP make him as formidable as he was last year.
Interestingly, Skenes has an advice for Misiorowski as well.
Misiorowski gets a tipoff from Skenes
If you remember, Skenes was in the same boat as Misiorowski last year. So, he knows well how it feels to burst into the limelight out of nowhere. “Got to protect yourself, for lack of a better term for it,” he advised Misiorowski.
Well, that’s not a bad advice. For a young arm like Jacob Misiorowski, who’s suddenly thrust into the spotlight, it’s crucial to manage the attention carefully. The media buzz, the fan hype, and the early success can get to you. The risk of getting swept up in the limelight is always there.
“Obviously with the media, but I’m assuming if he walks around Milwaukee now, there are probably going to be more people that recognize him and all that. If he does what he’s supposed to do and what everybody thinks he can do, it’s not going away anytime soon. So, get used to it and find ways to find peace and that kind of thing with it,” Skenes further added.
Well, fame can be overwhelming. Remember Mark Prior of the Cubs? Once, a top prospect, he fell off with increasing media pressure, heavy workloads, and constant expectations. Yes, his journey was marred by injuries, but his rapid rise to fame arguably contributed to his downfall as well.
For someone like Misiorowski, it’s just the start. Yes, he leads against Skenes by 1-0, but he has a long way to go!
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