Unsurprising late-season trend explains Jacob Misiorowski’s pair of laborious postseason starts

Jacob Misiorowski won the NL Cy Young Award after posting a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts in the regular season, but his postseason performance shows signs of fatigue despite solid results. In two playoff starts against the Padres and Dodgers, he recorded a 3.24 ERA with two wins but failed to complete five innings in either game. His spin rates have declined noticeably, particularly against the Dodgers, resulting in less movement on his fastball and curveball, which has reduced opposing batters' whiff rates from his season-leading 37.3% to below 25%. The decline appears tied to workload, as Misiorowski threw 174⅔ innings in the regular season—far exceeding his previous career high of 129⅓—and has now surpassed 180 innings with his playoff appearances.

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