Kyle Schwarber: Phillies' criticism of Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski as All-Star replacement wasn't personal

ATLANTA — Nobody beat The Miz at the All-Star Game.

Just don’t tell the Phillies.

Jacob Misiorowski was a central figure over the two days in Atlanta after being named last week to the National League roster as a replacement. The 23-year-old Milwaukee Brewers rookie sensation has reached a maximum velocity of 102.4 mph on his fastball this season but got called up only last month and has made all of five starts.

The addition of Misiorowski annoyed several Phillies players, who thought Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez were overlooked. But Sánchez and Suárez declined invitations to pitch in the All-Star Game because they started in San Diego on Sunday and Friday, respectively.

But upon arriving in the NL clubhouse Monday, Misiorowski said Phillies All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber introduced himself and said on behalf of his teammates that their criticism wasn’t personal.

“You first see it and you kind of react that way,” Misiorowski said of being confused about why the Phillies singled him out. “But when you finally think about, you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not towards me. It’s about something else.’ But it’s really cool to have a guy like [Schwarber] come up and chat with you and make you feel welcome.”

In five starts with the Brewers, Misiorowski has a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. The All-Star nod came as a surprise to him, too.

“I thought it was going to be a few more years,” he said. “I thought I was going to get my toe wet in the league a little bit and then finally make it. But it’s an honor and it’s really cool.”

And as long as Misiorowski agreed to pitch, NL manager Dave Roberts said he intended to use him, likely between the fifth and seventh innings.

Like most other All-Stars, Schwarber was eager to see him.

“I told him this, I said, ‘Kid, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to be a perennial All-Star,’” Schwarber said. “Within our room, it was: What about some other [older] guys, if there was a different starting pitcher or maybe a reliever who’s able to get that tout in their cap, get a bonus, whatever it is.”

Having a ball

Adam Crognale didn’t have plans for the All-Star break. The popular Phillies bat boy, known for his sprinting out of the dugout, was planning to work a few shifts to prepare the clubhouses at Citizens Bank Park for this weekend’s series.

Then, he got a call to join MLB’s All-Star Ball Crew.

So, no, Schwarber wasn’t the Phillies’ lone uniformed representative in Atlanta.

“I don’t know if I had any expectations, but I think it’s been an amazing experience, the fact that MLB even offered it to us,” Crognale said. “The whole process is amazing.”

Crognale, 26, was chosen in fan voting conducted by MLB. He was permitted one guest (he brought his girlfriend) on the four-night trip, which included tickets to the MLB draft on Sunday night. He also attended the Home Run Derby as a fan before working the All-Star Game.

“It’s been really cool,” Crognale said. “It’s been a lot of different things that I feel like you don’t normally get access to. And the fact that they basically paid for everything is just a cherry on top of it all.”

It’s automatic

In a likely precursor to its eventual implementation, maybe even as soon as next season, MLB experimented with the automated ball-strike system (ABS) for the All-Star Game.

But several players said they aren’t fans.

“I don’t plan on using it,“ American League starting pitcher Tarik Skubal of the Tigers said. ”I’m probably not going to use it in the future. I’m going to let the catcher do that. I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball. I don’t know the strike zone a ton.”

Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who started for the NL, agreed and endorsed the old-fashioned “human element” in calling balls and strikes.

In a news conference with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, players union chief Tony Clark expressed “tangible” concern over the system’s accuracy.

About-face on Atlanta

Four years ago, commissioner Rob Manfred moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a controversial voter law. In a statement, Manfred said MLB “fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”

The law remains on the books.

And yet, MLB brought back the All-Star Game anyway.

“The reason to come back here is self-revealing,” Manfred told members of the BBWAA. “Walk around here and see the level of interest, the level of excitement, the great facility, the support this market has given to the Atlanta Braves, and baseball generally. That’s a really good reason to come back here.”

But since the season opened, MLB also removed references to “diversity” from the careers homepage on its official website, a move that coincided with President Donald Trump’s threats of federal action against organizations with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

“There were certain aspects of some of our programs that were very explicitly race- and/or gender-based,” Manfred said. “There were public comments to the effect that people in Washington were aware of that. We felt it was important to recast our programs in a way to make sure we could continue to pursue the values that we have always adhered to without tripping what could be legal problems that would interfere with that process.”

Extra bases

Manfred met again with representatives from LA 2028 to discuss logistics around MLB players competing in the next Summer Olympics, scheduled for July 14-30, 2028, in Los Angeles. “It’s possible,” Manfred said. “It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.” … Another labor fight looms over MLB when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2026. The biggest issue is a familiar one: the owners’ desire for a salary cap. Clark left no doubt about where the union stands. “A cap is not a partnership, it’s not about growing the game,” he said. “That’s not what a cap is about. … This is institutionalized collusion. That’s what a salary cap is.”