Miller a finalist -- and likely favorite -- for inaugural NL Reliever of the Year Award
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SAN DIEGO -- Mason Miller turned in one of the greatest relief seasons in Padres history, and he might soon be honored for it with a brand new award.
Miller was named one of three finalists for the National League Reliever of the Year Award when the BBWAA announced its awards finalists on Monday. He is joined by Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill and Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran.
Miller would seem to be the favorite for the award, which is set to be presented for the first time on Nov. 11. (The BBWAA’s Reliever of the Year Award is different from the Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Awards. It’s a new inclusion to the group of BBWAA awards, which also includes MVP, Cy Young, Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year.)
No other Padre was among the three finalists for the other four major awards. The only serious contender for a place was manager Craig Stammen, who missed out to Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy, Philadelphia’s Don Mattingly and Atlanta’s Walt Weiss.
Stammen was never likely to win, with Murphy the favorite to take home the award for a third straight season. But he had a strong case for a top-three finish, coming off a season in which he won 91 games and navigated all sorts of pitching questions.
As for Miller, he might be the favorite for the newly minted award. He posted a 1.67 ERA with a 1.17 FIP while tying for the NL lead with 38 saves. He struck out a whopping 129 hitters -- a record for a Padres reliever -- across just 70 innings.
In April, Miller broke Cla Meredith’s franchise-record scoreless innings streak, compiling 34 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to August 2025. He dazzled all season with a 100-plus mph fastball and a slider that qualified as one of the nastiest pitches in the sport.
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Miller, of course, would be the first Padre to win this particular award. But he’s certainly not the first dominant back-end arm to grace San Diego’s bullpen. With his excellence in the closer role this season, Miller has merely assumed his place among franchise icons like Trevor Hoffman, Goose Gossage and Mark Davis.
And he might soon have some sparkling new hardware to show for it.