Brewers Ace Praises Iowa Phenom

Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski watched the Aug. 23 Little League World Series matchup between Davenport Northwest and Bayonne (New Jersey) from the broadcast booth, as a barrage of highlights of Iowa star Cooper Thissen played on his monitor. The 15-year-old Thissen had struck out 15 batters and tossed 5⅓ no-hit innings in Iowa's first win of the tournament. Misiorowski's reaction was immediate: "Wow," he said on ABC. "Fired up. Love that."

Misiorowski, one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball with pitches that frequently touch 100 mph, was in Williamsport for the Little League World Series Classic against the Atlanta Braves. Thissen had hoped to meet the Brewers ace, but it turns out—as Misiorowski put it—he's a Thissen fan, too. "It looks good," Misiorowski said of Thissen's stuff. "Obviously I wish I had his form from the left side. But from my point of view, it looks really good."

Thissen's fastball has been clocked in the mid 70s during the LLWS, which, at the big-league mound distance, equates to a pitch in the 90s. That velocity and delivery drew the professional's admiration, a rare compliment for a young player.

Johnson Jr. Guides Iowa to 2-0

While Thissen's heroics set the stage, Anthony Johnson Jr. stepped into the spotlight on Sunday, pitching into the sixth and final inning as Davenport Northwest defeated to Bayonne (New Jersey) 6-0 at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. With the win, Iowa improved to 2-0 in the tournament and, according to ESPN, became the first squad from the state to accomplish the feat. Davenport's next game is Aug. 26 at Nevada at 2 p.m. CT.

Johnson Jr. came out of the bullpen on Aug. 21 to close out Iowa's first win, recording the final two outs in a combined no-hitter. In Sunday's start, he continued that dominance: seven strikeouts in the first three innings, allowing just one hit and no walks. By the end of the fourth inning, he had struck out the side to reach 10 strikeouts and thrown 58 pitches. In the fifth, he walked the leadoff batter before fanning three consecutive batters, posting 13 Kruns and 75 pitches overall.

The left-hander capped his performance in the top of the sixth when he hit a 300-foot three-run home run to center field, giving Iowa a 6-0 cushion. Johnson Jr. struck out 15 batters total and allowed only one hit—an infield single—and one walk in 5 2⁄3 innings before he reached his pitch count. He drove in four of the team's six runs, while Caleb Erwin went 3-for-3 with an RBI. According to ESPN commentators, Johnson Jr. drew comparisons to former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard—high praise for a child powerhouse.

The victory put Iowa alone at 2-0, a mark no state squad had previously achieved, as reported. Thissen's Friday performance—with 5 1 five-hour six-inning, 15-strikeout outing and a first-inning home run—remained a baseline, and Johnson Jr.'s effort was, by all accounts, "nearly" as good.

Both performances highlighted a Davenport team that appears to be building genuine depth in its offensive output, with simple starkness: the left-hander's curveball and changeup kept Bayonne hitters off balance, even as he trailed Thissen in raw velocity. The result lifted the Quad Cities club into uncharted territory, setting up a Wednesday match with Nevada that now carries extra weight.

Perspectives

  • Jacob Misiorowski: The Brewers' ace expressed genuine enthusiasm over Thissen's skill, calling it "Wow" and wishing he could imitate his form from the left side. His admiration underscores the jump in difficulty from youth baseball to the professionals.
  • Iowa coaching staff: Beyond the victory, the team has been described as having "another ace pitcher" in Johnson Jr., whose effectiveness with curveballs and changeups recently made him "nearly unhittable" in Sunday's game.

(Article note: This piece continues; some details might update as the game story develops.)