NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS BREWERS

October 2, 2026

Jacob Misiorowski

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. You're obviously going out there and have a job to do and everything, but how much pride do you take in taking the ball in the first game of the postseason for this organization?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: I love it. It's going to be just as nerve-racking if it was Game 2. I think it's just a lot of faith from the coaching staff and players around me to put me in control of Game 1. So it's going to be fun.

Q. After the way the regular season ended last year, they put a lot of trust in you in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Cubs. What do you remember about the way you felt going into that start and just how the plan unfolded in your mind, like, you're going to be kind of the guy in this game?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Honestly, there was a lot of adrenaline going into that game. It didn't go exactly how I thought it was going to go. I thought I was going to get the ball a little deeper in the game. But when it got handed to me, you kind of just do your job and don't think about much and just keep going.

It's going to be the same thing going into this year. You're going to get out there first inning and just kind of do my job and my thing and go compete.

Q. What's the biggest way you've improved from last year to this year?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Being in zone. I think that's the key to all my success this year is just being in zone and command of zone and really making guys trust that I'm going to attack them and they can -- they have to come to me and not wait on me to walk them or something like that.

Q. Was last year, what was that a matter of, just giving yourself more credit for how good your stuff is or experience, or how did you come to that?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: I think it just came with age. I think just being myself and just trust in my stuff and being more middle with it instead of trying to paint edges. Trusting that my stuff is going to move to the outside and still stay on the plate.

Q. Going back to that last year's postseason, the way the regular season ended, I know you always talk about being very confident. Was that at all shaken going into the postseason? In other words, when you took the mound the first time in the playoffs, was there any question about, like, how is this going to go? Can I do this?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: No, there was no thought of wavering. I trusted my skills and I trusted the staff to put me in a good situation. And they believed in me. So I don't think there was any negative thoughts going into that start.

Obviously I didn't end the way I wanted to with the regular season, but I got a few weeks in there to bounce back and feel myself. So it really helped.

Q. What is the biggest thing you learned last year just about the difference of pitching the postseason versus pitching in the regular season just in terms of the emotions and all of that stuff?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Yeah, I don't think there's anything different on the field. I think the only thing is the outside noise. All this stuff that's going on here, you know, a lot of bullshit if you -- frankly.

But I think it's just another baseball game. There's going to be a bigger crowd than usual. It's just another game.

Q. How was this last week for you? You had an extended time off. There's always that rust-versus-rest argument made. How do you feel? How does the team look?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: I feel great. This is my normal rest. There's nothing that changed through the last game of the year. So this is what I would be doing if we were in week four. There's no difference between a week off for me. I was going to get a week off anyways.

I think the team's ready. I think they're ready to go. Boys are excited. They're in there doing their thing. It will be good.

Q. I'm assuming you guys were watching the Cubs-Padres series in the Wild Card. When you're looking at that, just watching the games live, are you kind of watching a bit more intently, taking notes on the hitters that you're seeing? Or is it just kind of more casual, relaxed watching it?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Maybe for other guys. For myself, I could care less. I've seen both of these teams this year. I'm gonna do my homework outside the field and I'm gonna be looking at swings, looking at approaches, my normal stuff between weeks.

So I don't need to watch three games for me. But some guys might be the opposite they might need to watch how guys are. But for myself, no.

Q. What was the biggest thing that you learned about yourself physically this year just to get through a full season in the Big Leagues and a full season of starts? And how do you plan to take that into October for however deep you guys end up playing?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Yeah, I think the biggest thing was the work I did in the offseason the year prior. I think that's what drove me here. And I've got to keep trusting that I did enough then and keep going and trust my body.

Q. We're seeing it become a little more prevalent where starters will pitch in the game two or three days after your start, whether it's the postseason or with the Marlins are doing late in the year. Sale did it to close out last night's game. What are your thoughts on if that's something you would be comfortable with, your body would be able to do, instead of throwing that side pitching the game in the post season.

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: Give me the ball. That's plain and simple. That's my answer.

Q. Outside of the postseason, when you reflect back on the this year, feels like you've resonated in a different way, whether it's with young people, this community, what are your reflections on how that has grown for you over the last six months?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: It's been wild, just being a part of the city and having the support from everyone; just walking around town going to breakfast with my fiancée or going to coffee, just getting "go Brewers" and stuff like that, it's amazing just the amount of support that the city has for us. So it's been cool.

And being able to help in little ways that I can and interact with little guys at the card shop that are into Pokémon just the same as I am, it's a lot of fun.

Q. You and Mason Miller on the other side throw more 100-mile-per-hour pitches than anyone else in the league. What is it that catches your attention about him, and have you had the chance at all to catch up with him over the time and pick his brain?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: I have not been able to pick his brain. I got to meet him for the first time this year when they came earlier.

Seems like a good guy. I mean, what he does differently than I do? He kind of overpowers hitters with just strength, where I'm trying to get out and be a little closer than him.

We have two different 100-mile-an-hour pitches. But pretty much the same game plan going into throwing a baseball.

Q. Just because nobody else can really experience it, what is the physical exertion or toll or whatever required to throw as hard as you throw?

JACOB MISIOROWSKI: I don't think any. I think obviously, for some people, like if max effort is getting to 100, it's going to be a little different.

For me, most games, when I'm hitting like 99, 101, that's kind of just coast. That's kind of the nice and easy throws. It sounds dumb; but no, that's how I taught myself to throw. And every throw is kind of max effort, but that's just how it works; that's how you get success.