Four days after a surprising decision to add Milwaukee Brewers rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to the National League All-Star roster, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the move, noting that there was no denying the excitement surrounding the fireballer.
Misiorowski, a 23-year-old who has stormed onto the MLB scene, was named to the NL All-Star team despite making just five appearances this season. It is a record low for an All-Star.
For his part, Manfred said he selected the rookie based on “the excitement that was going to be generated,” and, “the fan interest in seeing this guy.”
“He’s a very, very good pitcher on a very, very good run right now,” Manfred said at the annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America meeting before the All-Star Game. “Do I understand five starts is short? Yeah, I do. And do I want to make that the norm? No, I don’t. But I think it was the right decision given where we were.”
The 6-foot-7 Misiorowski has gone 4-1 this season with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts while allowing just 12 hits across 25 2/3 innings. He immediately grabbed national attention when, in his major-league debut, he fired consecutive pitches of 100.5 mph and 101.8 mph on his way to five no-hit innings.
Still, many in MLB have pushed back on Misiorowksi’s selection, pointing out that other players are more deserving of the All-Star spot. Some players have financial incentives in their contracts tied to All-Star roster selections.
Misiorowski has perspective on the matter, understanding that the criticism is about the process and not him in particular.
“I think it’s one of those things that it’s just that’s the way it happened,” Misiorowski told reporters on Monday. “It’s not really anything I’ve done, and I’m not going to say no to MLB about coming to the game. So it just is what it is.”
–Field Level Media
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