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Joey looks at three starting pitcher fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers off to hot starts in 2025. Are Jacob Misiorowski, Noah Cameron, and Mick Abel for real?
As more and more prospects get called up, we are starting to see top pitching prospects make an immediate impact in the majors. Chicago Cubs prospect Cade Horton has a 3.47 ERA in his first seven games, Milwaukee Brewers prospect Logan Henderson had a 1.71 ERA in his first four career starts before being optioned, and Chicago White Sox rookie Shane Smith has a 2.37 ERA to begin his career.
In this article, we will look at three more potential breakout pitchers: Jacob Misiorowski, Noah Cameron, and Mick Abel. All three pitchers have been pitching well and have emerged as strong fantasy options for managers in recent weeks.
So, are Misiorowski, Cameron, and Abel for real? Should fantasy managers pick up these players in Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season? Let's dive in and find out.
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Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
2025 Stats: 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 0.800 WHIP, 5 K
Rostership: 64% in Yahoo! leagues
The Brewers finally called up their top pitching prospect last week after he dominated at Triple-A to start the season. Misiorowski had a 2.13 ERA and 80 strikeouts in his first 13 games (12 starts) with Triple-A Nashville and held opposing hitters to a .175 batting average. Those numbers suggested that the hard-throwing right-hander didn't have anything left to prove down in the minors.
The stage was then set for Misiorowski to make his MLB debut on June 12 against the division rival St. Louis Cardinals. In that outing, the 23-year-old showed why he is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. MLB Pipeline's No. 67 overall prospect threw five no-hit innings with four walks and five strikeouts before leaving due to cramping in his lower leg.
MUST SEE: Jacob Misiorowski's first three pitches to start his Major League career:
100 MPH 🔥
102 MPH 🔥
101 MPH 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gObMMacPDT— MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2025
Misiorowski was brilliant in his first career start, and the Cardinals offense had a hard time locating his fastball. That's not entirely a surprise because the Brewers pitcher has a plus-plus fastball that reaches over 100 mph. The right-hander threw 14 pitches of at least 100 mph in his debut while generating seven whiffs on that pitch alone.
It's hard not to love Misiorowski in fantasy moving forward. He averaged 99 mph on his fastball in that start last week and finished with a 35.1% whiff rate. With Aaron Civale being traded away and Brandon Woodruff (shoulder/ankle/elbow) still rehabbing from his various injuries, the right-hander has a great chance to stay in Milwaukee's rotation for the foreseeable future.
Now, the biggest concern with Misiorowski is his high walk rate. He walked four batters in his MLB debut and issued 31 walks across 63 1/3 innings pitched at Triple-A to start the season. So, that's something fantasy managers should keep in mind before his next start.
Verdict: Even though Misiorowski has only made one start in the majors, there's a lot to love about him. He has a mean fastball that many teams won't be able to hit, which should help him rack up strikeouts throughout the year. The right-hander also has an above-average curveball and slider to complement that fastball.
As a result, Misiorowski should be added to every fantasy league in Week 12. He has the tools to be a really good pitcher in Year 1 and proved in his first start that his stuff could play in the big leagues. It'll be interesting to see how he fares in his second start against the Cubs on Wednesday, but the Brewers pitcher appears to be for real.
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals
2025 Stats: 42 1/3 IP, 1.91 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 0.898 WHIP, 32 K
Rostership: 51% in Yahoo! leagues
No one knew what to expect from Cameron when the Royals called him up toward the end of April. The left-hander broke out in the minors in 2024, and he continued to post strong all-around numbers at Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season. So, fantasy managers were excited to see how the 25-year-old would look in the majors.
It's safe to say that Cameron has exceeded all expectations to begin his major league career. He threw 6 1/3 shutout innings with one hit, five walks, and three strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays in a spot start on April 30. Although the Royals sent him back down following that outing, the southpaw would get another opportunity a few weeks later.
He tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts in his second outing on May 17. With Kansas City dealing with some injuries to Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo at that time, Cameron earned a few more turns in the rotation. The Royals' No. 5 prospect has now allowed one run or fewer in six of his first seven starts and just threw five shutout innings in his most recent outing against the Athletics on Sunday.
Noah Cameron is the 2nd pitcher since 1893 with 6.1+ IP and 1 run or less in his first 4 MLB starts 🤯
(H/T @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/5x4tDTRlrd
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2025
It's easy to see why Cameron continues to be added in most fantasy leagues. He has a 1.91 ERA and a 0.898 WHIP across seven starts, and his off-speed pitches have become a real weapon on the mound. Opposing hitters are batting .139 against his changeup, .167 against his slider, and .071 against his curveball.
All three of those pitches are why Cameron has had success to begin his MLB career. The left-hander has allowed just two extra-base hits (one double and one home run) on those three pitches, and 29 of his 32 strikeouts have come via the changeup, slider, or curveball. With a five-pitch arsenal, he's doing a good job of mixing his pitches on the mound.
Verdict: Some regression could be coming Cameron's way. His FIP (3.64) is 173 points higher than his actual ERA (1.91), and his hard-hit rate (40.3%), strikeout rate (19.6%), and average exit velocity (89.7%) all don't particularly rank well. Even though fantasy managers should expect his ERA to drop over the next few weeks, he should be rostered in every league.
Cameron has pitched well so far, and his five-pitch mix should help him succeed in 2025 and beyond. With a 5% barrel rate and a .224 expected batting average against, the southpaw appears to be for real. His off-speed stuff should continue to carry him on the mound.
Mick Abel, Philadelphia Phillies
2025 Stats: 20 1/3 IP, 2.21 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.033 WHIP, 17 K
Rostership: 49% in Yahoo! leagues
The Phillies called up Abel to make a spot start on April 18 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-hander was electric in his major league debut, throwing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Although Philadelphia sent him back to Triple-A following that outing, he was promoted again a few weeks later on June 4.
With Aaron Nola (ankle and rib) landing on the 15-day injured list and Taijuan Walker struggling as a starter, the Phillies decided to give their pitching prospect another shot in the majors. It's safe to say that Abel hasn't disappointed the organization one bit. The 23-year-old has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his four starts.
In his most recent outing on Monday, Abel threw five innings of one-run ball with one walk and three strikeouts. That start lowered his ERA to 2.21 on the season, and the young right-hander continues to show his potential on the mound.
Mick Abel was back to doing Mick Abel things this evening, holding the Marlins to three hits and one run over five innings! pic.twitter.com/8GktlrGlLb
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) June 17, 2025
Most of his success in the early going has come from his fastball and curveball. He throws his fastball and curveball a combined 64.3% of the time, and most of his strikeouts have come from those two pitches. Abel's curveball has easily been his best pitch, as opposing hitters are batting just .118 with eight strikeouts against that pitch alone.
Abel is definitely off to a nice start in his career, and it's encouraging to see his off-speed stuff play well in the majors. On top of his curveball success, not many teams have been able to touch his slider. Opposing hitters are batting just .188 against his slider through his first four starts.
Verdict: There's no doubt that the Phillies prospect has looked solid to begin his major league career. He currently owns a 2.21 ERA and appears to have a role in this rotation until Nola returns. However, Abel's strong start is not for real.
His expected ERA (4.74) is 253 points higher than his actual ERA, and his hard-hit rate (55.9%), strikeout rate (21%), and expected batting average against (.291) all rank extremely poorly. Therefore, the Phillies pitcher should not be added in most 12-team leagues right now. With a start against the New York Mets upcoming this weekend, it's only a matter of time until he gets hit hard.
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