Milwaukee Brewers All-Star right-hander Jacob Misiorowski has made himself a certified ace in Major League Baseball during the 2026 season, and he continues to ascend.

Through 11 starts, Misiorowski carries a 5-2 record with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. Misiorowski’s WHIP is second in baseball, only behind Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Additionally, Misiorowski leads MLB in strikeouts and became the first pitcher in 2026 to fan 100 batters.

Misiorowski continues to keep hitters flummoxed, and it has led to him possessing the best opponent batting average in the sport at .152. But for all of the star-studded traits of "The Miz," the 24-year-old flamethrower is also avid about a hobby: Collecting Pokemon cards.

Recently, Misiorowski showed off some of his collection to MLB Insider Jeff Passan, and he talked about which Pokemon would match his player comparison in an episode of "On Base" with Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

For Misiorowski, the choice was Charmeleon, and he provided his reasoning to Betts.

"Just because, like, you got that future of being the big star, but, like, not there yet," Misiorowski said.

Misiorowski also explained that at one point, he was Charmander, the pre-evolution phase of Charmeleon, but he is not yet Charizard, the final evolution of the fire-type Pokemon.

"I took one step up," Misiorowski added.

During his rookie season in 2025, Misiorowski became the fastest player in MLB history to earn an All-Star selection, receiving the honor after his first five games. It was a monumental experience for Misiorowski, and Betts used it against him in quite the hypothetical situation.

"Would you rather give up your all-star appearance or your Pokemon Binder?" Betts asked.

"Oh, wow, wow," Misiorowski replied. "That's a tough question. I think I gotta go Pokemon binder. That experience of being at the All-Star game was insane."

With the offseason trade of Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets and the tenuous health of Brandon Woodruff, Misiorowski has become the Brewers’ best pitcher and, arguably, the team’s most exciting young star.

He has broken records for his lightning-quick fastball, and he continues to put together outings in which he strikes out double-digit batters.

Misiorowski’s performances up to this point in the season have placed him in serious talks as a Cy Young Award candidate. Given what he has been able to accomplish at such a young age, his youth plays in his favor for a fruitful and dominant career ahead. 

Like Charmeleon to Charizard, it might not be that long until Misiorowski evolves even further.

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