Surprise breakouts and marked improvements can tilt a season. Two 2026 campaigns stand out: Jacob Misiorowski’s emergence as an ace for the Milwaukee Brewers and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s offensive surge for the Chicago Cubs, both of which altered their clubs’ profiles down the stretch.
Misiorowski entered 2026 with modest expectations from FanGraphs — a 9-8 record, a 3.99 ERA, 135 innings and 155 strikeouts — yet his season-to-date numbers tell a different story. According to Baseball-Reference, he sits at 14-5 with a 1.95 ERA, 161.1 innings, 236 strikeouts and 5.5 WAR. Statcast data in 2026 recorded more than 1,000 pitches at 100 mph or above, including a 105.5 mph fastball, the fastest by a starting pitcher in the Statcast era.
Part of Misiorowski’s leap has been improved command of a high-end four-seam fastball. His walk rate is 6.7 percent, a level of control many starters take seasons to reach — the report notes Greg Maddux did not get below that mark until his fifth season. With opponents batting just .156 against him, Misiorowski has combined elite velocity and newfound control to produce historically dominant results.
The timing of Misiorowski’s breakout matters for Milwaukee. The Brewers’ rotation effectively turned over after the offseason: Freddy Peralta was traded to the New York Mets, Quinn Priester has been sidelined by injury, Chad Patrick has worked mainly in relief and José Quintana signed with the Colorado Rockies. Despite that turnover, Milwaukee’s starting staff ranks among the majors in ERA, with Misiorowski providing an unexpected anchor and a heavier workload than projections anticipated.
Pete Crow-Armstrong built on an impressive 2025 by surpassing expectations in 2026. FanGraphs’ preseason forecast projected a .252/.303/.456 line with 26 homers and 4.7 WAR; Baseball-Reference lists him at .281/.375/.574 with 41 homers and 9.2 WAR so far. Crow-Armstrong refined his setup and swing decisions midseason — lowering his hands, standing more upright and lengthening his stride — and dramatically improved his strikeout-to-walk profile.
Those adjustments coincided with a steep drop in his swing and chase rates and a much better SO/BB ratio after May 20. Combined with elite defense in center field, Crow-Armstrong’s offensive breakout has helped power a Cubs lineup that, the report says, leads the majors in runs scored while pitching has navigated injuries.
