It’s not enough that a batter has to hit Jacob Misiorowski’s 104-MPH fastballs. They’ve also got to hit the ball past a defense that has been very good behind him.
The Brewers have 9 Runs Saved on the batted balls against Misiorowski, the 8th-highest* total by a team for a pitcher in MLB this season.
* The rank includes fractional runs (in other words Michael King has 9.4 Runs Saved, which is ahead of Misiorowski’s 9.0) but we always round off to the nearest whole number.
Most Defensive Runs Saved on Batted Balls Vs Pitcher
|
Pitcher |
Team |
DRS |
|
Eduardo Rodríguez |
Diamondbacks |
12 |
|
Justin Wrobleski |
Dodgers |
12 |
|
Drew Rasmussen |
Rays |
10 |
|
Zack Littell |
Nationals |
10 |
|
Tanner Bibee |
Guardians |
10 |
|
Michael King |
Padres |
9 |
|
Andre Pallante |
Cardinals |
9 |
|
Jacob Misiorowski |
Brewers |
9 |
|
Grant Holmes |
Braves |
9 |
|
Zack Wheeler |
Phillies |
9 |
Some of the highlights include multiple diving plays by first baseman Jake Bauers, a couple of nifty defensive plays from David Hamilton, and a diving catch by Luis Rengifo.
We have the ability to further break down a defense’s results for a pitcher. The Brewers have 7 Runs Saved from the range of their fielders for Misiorowski (as opposed to the positioning done by the team, or what happened after the fielder used his range to reach the ball). The only team with more Range Runs Saved for a pitcher is the Yankees and 8 Runs Saved for Cam Schlittler.
With the success that Misiorowski and his defense has had, there is a record within reach. Misiorowski has allowed 4.5 hits per 9 innings this season. The record for fewest hits per 9 innings allowed in a season with at least 100 innings pitched is 4.9 by Dave Brown, who was a rookie pitcher for the Chicago American Giants of the Negro Leagues in 1920.
Ferdie Schupp of the 1916 Giants and J.R. Richard for the 1980 Astros*, have the lowest NL/AL mark, 5.1.
* Richard suffered a career-ending stroke that season.
In 2021, another Brewers pitcher, Freddy Peralta, came close to the mark but finished at 5.2 hits allowed per 9 innings.
Fewest Hits Per 9 Innings – 2026 Season
|
Name |
Team |
Hits Per 9 |
|
Jacob Misiorowski |
Brewers |
4.5 |
|
Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
Dodgers |
6.2 |
|
Cam Schlittler |
Yankees |
6.3 |
|
Drew Rasmussen |
Rays |
6.4 |
|
Chase Burns |
Reds |
6.4 |
Some of the pitchers who have gotten the most defensive support this season – Eduardo Rodríguez, Justin Wrobleski, and Zack Littell – profile much differently than Misiorowski does. They need the defensive support to keep their ERAs down. Wrobleski and Littell strike out 5.5 batters per 9 innings. Rodriguez strikes out 6.6. Misiorowski strikes out hitters at a rate twice as high as that, 13.3 per 9 innings.
There is another power pitcher who has gotten 9 Runs Saved of defensive support who also merited an article. It’s Zack Wheeler, whose Phillies have fluctuated between last and next-to-last in Runs Saved as a team for much of the season but have been very good behind him. Read about the Phillies’ success for him here.
The Brewers defense has been good though not elite this season. It currently ranks 11th in Runs Saved. Misiorowski has gotten the best defensive support on the team.
The leaders in Runs Saved behind Misiorowski for individual players are Garrett Mitchell and Bauers with 2 each. That’s understandable for Mitchell. He’s an excellent defensive player. Bauers has 2 Runs Saved for his ace, but -5 Runs Saved for the season.
Funny enough, one guy who hasn’t gotten it done defensively for him is Misiorowski himself. He has -2 Runs Saved against batted balls this season, the worst measured total against any Brewer when he pitches.
