Shohei Ohtani has just one extra base hit in his last 16 games and has not recorded a home run since Aug. 18. Calling the four-time MVP a shell of himself is underselling this shocking slump. He is clearly not 100 percent after battling knee, bicep and neck injuries this year. Milwaukee Brewers superstar Jacob Misiorowski still sees a unicorn, however, and he is not about to underestimate him in the biggest start of his MLB career.

The presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner intends to show Ohtani complete respect when the two face off in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night.

“It's still October,” Misiorowski told reporters, per the Dodger Blue YouTube account. “They're going to find a way to get a bat on ball and get on base how they can, so you got to still pitch like he's the best in the world. Trust your stuff and go beat him at his game and do your job.”

The 6-foot-7 right-hander is saying all the right stuff ahead of this NLCS rematch. He remembers what Ohtani did last year. The Japanese juggernaut finished off LA's sweep of the Brewers by mashing three home runs and striking out 10 batters in six scoreless innings pitched. It may be the greatest single-game performance ever.

Yes, he is not pitching this postseason, and yes, his bat is ice-cold, but Shohei Ohtani can still make a massive impact as long as he is in the lineup. Jacob Misiorowski can obviously do the same from the mound.

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Following an inconsistent showing versus the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series — two earned runs in four innings — the 24-year-old aims to squash the two-time reigning World Series champions in American Family Field. Consecutive ho-hum outings is highly unlikely. Misiorowski posted an MLB-best 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and 0.802 WHIP in 174 2/3 innings during the regular season.

The Dodgers are a different kind of beast in the playoffs, but so is he. After a shaky end to his rookie campaign, the 2022 second-round draft pick regrouped and thrived out of the Milwaukee bullpen in the 2026 MLB postseason. He threw 12 magnificent innings that helped launch him into elite status in 2026. Misiorowski's confidence should be at an all-time high entering the NLCS.

But no amount of self-assurance will convince him to shrug off Ohtani. This mega matchup will take place at approximately 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.