ATLANTA — Like it or not, Milwaukee Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski is an All-Star.
His five career big-league games are the fewest in All-Star history, eclipsing Paul Skenes’ record-low 11 starts last year.
Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic is the undoubtedly the best All-Star event in American sports — but it’s not without its flaws.
The game’s rosters have become watered down in recent decades with 81 players — withdrawals and replacements included — being named All-Stars for the 2025 game. That’s up from 62 in 1995.
There’s now rules regarding which pitchers can and cannot be named replacement All-Stars depending on when they made their last start and/or if they’re willing to pitch in the game itself.
More and more players are opting not to participate so they can rest up for the second half.
Which brings us to Misiorowski, who was named an All-Star just days before the game, and finds himself adjacent to some scorn and facing questions about whether he deserves to be in Atlanta.
“What a joke,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said after Misiorowski’s inclusion was announced. “That’s (expletive) terrible. … I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into.”
But MLB reached out to multiple players before Misiorowski, all of whom declined to participate.
For his part, Misiorowski is simply here to ball.
‘It’s just one of those things where you look at and go ‘oh well,” the 23-year-old said, asked about the Phillies’ comments. ‘I don’t think the guys are coming after me. I don’t think it’s anything that I did in particular … It was just a decision that was made and you’ve got to live it.
‘It is what it is.’
Misiorowski, who stands 6-foot-7, says it’s been a whirlwind since making his MLB debut on June 12, when he tossed five no-hit innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
‘The last five weeks have been insane,’ Misiorowski said with a smile. ‘I was hoping for the All-Star break to be one of those times where you could sit back and kind of reflect on everything.
‘But we’re here now and we’re doing this.’
National League manager Dave Roberts defended the inclusion of Misiorowski, who is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his five starts, touching 103 mph.
‘My North Star is the All-Star Game should be the game’s best players. It’s about the fans and what they want to see,’ Roberts said. ‘So for this young kid to be named an All-Star, I couldn’t be more excited for him. …
‘It’s an easy answer because if it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it.’
Misiorowski will get to pitch in the fifth, sixth or seventh inning of the game, Roberts said.
The NL skipper noted that while baseball has evolved as needed in recent years, All-Star rosters moving forward are part of ‘deeper conversations’ and that ‘the commissioner and player’s association are still going to be digging into’ best practices.
While Misiorowski might be the talk of the All-Star Game, the guy who was pitching for Class AAA Nashville last month is just taking it all in.
‘It’s so cool to be in the locker room with Shohei (Ohtani), Freddie Freeman, Chris Sale, all those guys,’ he said. ‘It’s a lot of fun.’