MLB Pipeline poll names a Brewers pitcher the best future closer among 2024 prospects

The last few years have seen a Milwaukee Brewers prospect (or two) get promoted up multiple levels as part of a breakout season. That player in 2023 was flamethrowing pitcher Jacob Misiorowski.

Misiorowski, a second round pick in 2022 out of Crowder College, began the 2023 season at Low-A Carolina. After just nine dominant games there, he began his quick ascent up the Brewers' minor league organization.

By the end of the year, Misiorowski would find himself all the way up at Double-A and with an MLB Futures Game appearance under his belt. He would also become a top three prospect in the Milwaukee system as well as a top 100 prospect in all of baseball.

Those last two rankings were courtesy of MLB Pipeline, who has begun their analysis of prospects for the 2024 season. On Monday, they handed out some superlatives based on a recent survey and one that was given to Misiorowski was certainly interesting.

A MLB Pipeline poll named Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski the best future closer among pitching prospects.

In their poll with MLB front office executives, the vote on who the best future closer might be was pretty overwhelming. 30% of those surveyed voted for Misiorowski, well ahead of Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep, who earned 14% of the vote.

It's hard not to see why many might regard the top Brewers pitching prospect as a future dominant closer. A fastball that can reach triple digits paired with a wipeout slider is exactly the type of combination that succeeds late in MLB games.

One of the big problems with this theory is how the Brewers are currently using him. Misiorowski has been deployed exclusively as a starter for all 22 of his career minor league appearances. Of course, that was also the case with former Brewer Josh Hader in the minors and we all know how that ended up turning out.

But if you look into the Brewers roster of the future, keeping Misiorowski as a starter might still be in the best interest of the team. It might not be long before Corbin Burnes and Wade Miley join Brandon Woodruff as former members of the Crew, leaving huge holes in the rotation. Meanwhile, if the same happens with current closer Devin Williams some day, Milwaukee may already have their closer of the future on the roster in Abner Uribe, another pitcher with absolute gas.

There's no doubt, though, that if the situation ends up calling for it, Misiorowski has what it takes to be a stud closer some day. 30% of one group of voters seems to agree.