Jacob Misiorowski sets World Series velocity record at 103.5 mph

Key takeaways

• Milwaukee Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski threw a 103.5 mph fastball with the first pitch of the 2026 World Series. That is the fastest pitch in World Series history, according to MLB's Statcast as reported by the AP and ESPN.
• The pitch, a ball high to Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz in Game 1 in Milwaukee on Friday, 23 October, beat Aroldis Chapman's 103.2 mph from Game 2 of the 2016 World Series.
• Misiorowski threw 38 pitches at 100 mph or faster. He gave up one run in five innings and left with the Brewers ahead 2-1.
• The final score of Game 1 had not been confirmed by the sources reviewed at the time of writing.

Misiorowski's World Series velocity record: what happened

Jacob Misiorowski set the World Series velocity record with the first pitch of the 2026 Fall Classic: a 103.5 mph four-seam fastball, measured by Statcast, to Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz in Game 1. It beat Aroldis Chapman's 103.2 mph from the 2016 World Series.

Game 1 was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, 23 October (00:00 UTC on Saturday, 24 October), and was broadcast on FOX. The Associated Press first reported the record in a story published at 7:26 p.m. local time and updated at 9:13 p.m.

The previous World Series mark was 103.2 mph, thrown by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning of Game 2 in 2016. Before Friday, the fastest World Series pitch by a starting pitcher since pitch tracking began in 2008 was Noah Syndergaard's 101.1 mph for the New York Mets, in the first inning of Game 3 in 2015. Misiorowski beat Chapman's overall mark and broke the starter mark by more than two miles per hour.

How fast Misiorowski threw in Game 1

The record pitch was not a one-off. According to the AP, Misiorowski threw:

Source: Associated Press and ESPN, based on MLB Statcast data. Data as of 24 October 2026, 02:30 UTC.

He pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits, with three strikeouts. He got seven swings and misses, five of them on his fastball. Tampa Bay scored its run in the fourth inning. Jonathan Aranda walked, Junior Caminero doubled over center fielder Garrett Mitchell, and Liam Hicks grounded out to first base to bring Aranda home. Misiorowski left the game with Milwaukee leading 2-1.

What we know and what we don't know yet

Confirmed

• The first pitch measured 103.5 mph on Statcast. The AP and ESPN both reported it as a World Series record.
• The previous record was Chapman's 103.2 mph in 2016, according to the same reports.
• Misiorowski's pitching line was five innings, one run, four hits and three strikeouts.

Not yet confirmed

• The final score of Game 1 and which pitcher was credited with the win or loss. The reports reviewed for this article were published before the game ended.
• The plan for the rest of the series, including the starters for Game 2.

Background: the hardest-throwing starter in the majors

Misiorowski made his MLB debut in June 2025. Velocity has defined his career since then. According to the AP, he threw 1,115 pitches at 100 mph or faster during the 2026 regular season. That far exceeds the previous single-season record of 673, set by Jordan Hicks for St. Louis in 2018.

His fastest pitch of the 2026 regular season was 105.5 mph, to the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong on 27 June. That is just short of the MLB regular-season record of 105.8 mph, thrown by Chapman for Cincinnati against San Diego on 24 September 2010.

Misiorowski already set a postseason record this October. On 3 October, the first pitch of the National League Division Series opener against San Diego was a 104.8 mph called strike to Fernando Tatis Jr. That broke the previous postseason high of 104.5 mph, thrown by Mason Miller in the 2025 Wild Card Series. Across the NLDS and NLCS, 96 of his 182 pitches reached 100 mph or more, the AP reported. CBS Sports put his regular-season average fastball velocity at 100.6 mph.

Source: Associated Press and ESPN, citing MLB Statcast and pitch-tracking data.

What it means

The record makes velocity one of the main storylines of this World Series between Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. A starter throwing 38 pitches at 100 mph or more in five innings shows how far velocity in baseball has moved. Until recently, pitches above 100 mph came almost entirely from relievers in short outings.

Speed alone did not dominate the Rays, though. Misiorowski struck out three and needed help from his bullpen after five innings. In the NLDS opener, San Diego hitters fouled off enough pitches to drive him out after four innings, even though he set the postseason record in that game. How Tampa Bay's hitters adjust to his fastball will be worth watching if he starts again later in the series.

For more sports coverage on Bullquill, see our reports on the Knicks championship ring phishing test, Trump's comments on LeBron James and the national anthem, Peres Jepchirchir's provisional suspension and the Bayern Munich vs Arsenal Champions League clash.

Sources

• Associated Press (via KSAT): Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski sets World Series velocity record on his first pitch
• ESPN: Brewers' Misiorowski unleashes 103.5 mph pitch to set World Series record
• MLB.com: Jacob Misiorowski makes World Series history in Game 1
• CBS Sports: Misiorowski to start World Series Game 1 for the Brewers
• FOX Sports: 2026 World Series schedule, Brewers vs. Rays