This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

WASHINGTON -- Top Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski began the year at Single-A Carolina. When he was promoted to Double-A Biloxi last weekend the question was this: 

Might he end the year in Milwaukee?

It’s certainly not a given. Meteoric rises like that are exceedingly rare. 

But it’s also not out of the question. 

“I wouldn’t close the door on it,” GM Matt Arnold said last week. “He’s clearly a talented guy that has shown us top-end type of stuff. It’s more about getting him exposed to higher levels and continuing to refine his command. But for the most part, this guy has big league-ready type of stuff.

“So, if he continues to pitch well, we would certainly entertain the idea of him being in play for the end of the season.” 

Misiorowski’s first two Double-A starts, however, are a reminder of the challenge any player faces while jumping levels. After posting a 2.50 ERA and striking out 74 batters in 50 1/3 innings at Carolina and Single-A Wisconsin, he allowed four runs on four hits, four walks and two hit batsmen over four innings of his Double-A debut on July 22. On Friday, his second Double-A start began single, single, hit-by-pitch, run-scoring walk, run-scoring hit-by-pitch before Misiorowski recovered with back-to-back strikeouts and an infield popout. 

He wound up allowing five earned runs on four hits, three walks and four hit batsmen without finishing the third inning. Misiorowski threw 37 strikes, 31 balls.

So, he’ll have to get settled into the new level before one can start dreaming of him coming out of the Brewers’ bullpen during a pennant race. 

“Especially when you consider where he started the season, it’s all part of the process,” Brewers VP of player operations Tom Flanagan said. “Not that you want to see him struggle, but it’s part of the development process. He needs to learn to adapt to that level and make adjustments to more advanced hitters.” 

It’s a tantalizing idea, Misiorowski in the Major League bullpen by season’s end -- especially after the Brewers let some leads slip away on their current road trip. But in reality, there are some challenges the club would have to consider if it comes to that point. The long-term idea, of course, is to build up Misiorowski as a starting pitcher, but a callup this year would almost certainly be for a bullpen role. At this point, the Brewers have no idea how Misiorowski would handle the rigors associated with relief, especially high-leverage relief, including the grind of pitching multiple days in a row. 

There’s also the matter of what it would mean for his development. Logging fewer innings this year would impact next year and the year after that. It would also start Misiorowski’s option clock, meaning the Brewers would have to spend one of Misiorowski’s three Minor League options next year in order to send him back to an affiliate to re-establish himself as a starter. In essence, it would shorten the calendar for his development. 

You might read all that and say, “I don’t care about two or three years from now. I want the Brewers to go for it.” 

And indeed, they might -- if they think Misiorowski can help. 

“I don’t remember anyone like that,” Flanagan said, referring to a player who jumped from Single-A to the Majors in a single season. “But again, it’s a special arm. If things line up, we wouldn’t close the door to that. We always tell the guys when they get to Double-A, you’re one call away.”