Game 1 of the World Series is a physics experiment. On the mound Friday night at American Family Field: Jacob Misiorowski, whose fastball touches 105 mph and who should win the National League Cy Young. In the batter’s box: Junior Caminero, whose 79.4 mph bat speed is the fastest measured in baseball. The fastest arm against the fastest swing, with the Fall Classic’s tone on the line.
The matchup, Misiorowski against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen, is the most electric pitching duel the Series can offer. Caminero, with the second-highest rate of 75-plus mph swings, is the one Rays hitter built to catch up to Misiorowski’s heat. If he does, Tampa’s game plan works. If he doesn’t, the Brewers’ ace can feast.
Speed against speed
The numbers are stark. Misiorowski’s fastball is appointment television every time he takes the mound, and while he was not his untouchable self in the previous two rounds, the Brewers won both of his starts anyway. Caminero’s bat speed is a different kind of weapon: the ability to turn around velocity that ties up everyone else.
The supporting casts matter too. The Brewers swept the Dodgers to reach their first Fall Classic since 1982, a 103-win team against the Rays’ 98 wins, two small-market clubs that toppled the sport’s biggest spenders. The Champions League night of noise showed how home crowds can tilt a tie; Milwaukee’s crowd will try to do the same on Friday, with the NBA tipping off its own opening night across a crowded sports calendar.
The chess match
Expect the Rays to make Misiorowski work. The Dodgers made him throw 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in the NLCS, forcing Milwaukee’s bullpen into early action. Tampa’s lineup is harder to strike out than most, and Caminero is the key: get to the rookie early, and the Series’ entire pitching script changes.
First pitch is Friday at 7 pm CT. SI’s Game 1 odds have Milwaukee as the home favorite. The fastest arm in baseball against the fastest bat: the Series could hardly ask for a better opening act.
