Two National League pitchers posted historic months in May, creating a sharp contrast between overpowering velocity and relentless run prevention, according to the report.
Milwaukee right-hander Jacob Misiorowski finished May with six starts, a 5-0 record and a 0.23 ERA, allowing one run in 38 1/3 innings while striking out 57 batters, according to the report. Misiorowski debuted in the majors last June 12 and has drawn attention for a fastball that regularly sits at extreme velocity.
The report notes Misiorowski threw 241 fastballs of 100 mph or harder in May and 71 pitches of 102 mph or more, including starts in which he delivered 22 such pitches against both the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. Opponents swung at 125 of those 100-plus offerings, fouled off 48 and put just 20 in play, with five of those 20 going for singles, according to the report. A 101 mph fastball to Yordan Alvarez in one start was highlighted as a signature pitch of the month.
Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez compiled a different kind of dominance. Sánchez made five starts in May, threw 39 innings and did not allow a run over the month, becoming the first pitcher since Orel Hershiser in 1988 to make at least five starts in a calendar month without yielding a run, according to the report. Sánchez entered June riding a 44 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the seventh-longest in major league history and closing in on Hershiser’s 59-inning mark.
The report places those achievements in historical context, noting the National League Pitcher of the Month award dates to 1975 with Don Sutton as the inaugural winner and highlighting multi-time winners across eras. Both Misiorowski’s velocity-driven month and Sánchez’s extended scoreless stretch stand out among the season’s early performances, according to the report.
