Paul Skenes vs. Jacob Misiorowski: What Happened in the Highly Anticipated Pitchers’ Duel?

By Oliver Wiener June 29, 2025 14:12

On June 25, 2025, baseball fans witnessed a much-hyped pitching duel between two of MLB’s brightest young stars: Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers. Both 23-year-old right-handers are known for their blazing fastballs and impressive early careers, making this matchup a must-watch event. While Skenes entered the game as the more established pitcher, Misiorowski’s dominant performance ultimately gave the Brewers a 4-2 victory.

The Battle of Young Fireballers

Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year and a 2024 All-Star, came into the game boasting a 1.85 ERA and a reputation as one of baseball’s most formidable arms. Meanwhile, Misiorowski was just making his third career start but had already turned heads by pitching 11 hitless innings in his first two outings and consistently throwing triple-digit fastballs.

The duel lived up to the hype, with both pitchers displaying electric velocity. According to Sportradar, Misiorowski averaged 99.5 mph on his fastballs, while Skenes averaged 98.5 mph. Misiorowski threw 19 pitches at or above 100 mph, including a career-high 102.4 mph strikeout pitch, the fastest ever recorded by a Brewer in the pitch tracking era. Skenes also touched 100 mph once during the game. This combined velocity marked the highest ever recorded by opposing starters in the same game since tracking began in 2009.

Misiorowski’s Masterclass

Jacob Misiorowski delivered a near-flawless outing, pitching five shutout innings while allowing only two hits and two walks, and striking out eight batters. His command and poise belied his rookie status, as he navigated the Pirates’ lineup with ease. Misiorowski’s ability to maintain velocity deep into his outing and mix his pitches effectively kept Pittsburgh hitters off balance.

Milwaukee’s offense supported him with a big second inning, scoring four runs off Skenes. After loading the bases with no outs, the Brewers capitalized on a combination of timely hitting and a defensive error, highlighted by Eric Haase’s RBI double and Christian Yelich’s RBI single. This offensive burst proved decisive.

Skenes’ Struggles

Paul Skenes, who had been dominant all season, struggled in the second inning, allowing four earned runs on four hits and two walks over four innings. The inning was the longest of his career, featuring 37 pitches and nine batters faced. It was only the second time this season that Skenes gave up four or more earned runs in a game, snapping a streak of nine consecutive starts allowing two or fewer runs.

Despite the rough outing, Skenes struck out four and showed flashes of his usual brilliance but was unable to contain Milwaukee’s offense during that critical inning.

Postgame Reflections and Future Matchups

After the game, Skenes was gracious in defeat, praising Misiorowski’s performance. “He did a great job. I didn’t watch a ton of it, but what I saw was pretty electric,” Skenes said. “Want the best for him, and looking forward to pitching against him again this year, it’ll be fun.”

Misiorowski admitted he tried to stay calm amid the hype surrounding the matchup. “I had to mute it, turn it off,” he said about avoiding the social media buzz. His focus paid off, as he continued his historic start, lowering his ERA to 1.13.

The Pirates and Brewers are scheduled to meet again in two upcoming three-game series, providing more opportunities for these young phenoms to face off and build what could become a compelling rivalry.

The Skenes-Misiorowski duel was a showcase of baseball’s future, featuring two of the game’s hardest-throwing and most promising young pitchers. While Skenes remains the more proven talent, Misiorowski’s dominant outing in this game announced his arrival on the big stage. Both pitchers demonstrated electric stuff and competitive fire, promising exciting matchups ahead.