The regional aspect of modernMajor League Baseballmakes it easy to miss out on stories or players from across the country. TheSan Diego Padresmight be one of the best examples of that, considering most of their games start after 9pm Eastern and finish well after midnight.
So it's forgivable if some baseball fans have not followed Padres closer Mason Miller this season. But boy oh boy, should baseball fans be following Mason Miller. Because what he's doing to opposing hitters this season, along with his performance for much of last season, is virtually unprecedented and may never be accomplished again.
RELATED:Here's What The San Diego Padres Record $3.9 Billion Sale Means For Major League Baseball
Wednesday night, Miller entered in the ninth inning with the Padres up 5-2 on theSeattle Mariners. He struck out the side, getting J.P Crawford, Mitch Garver, and Cole Young looking. Nothing too unusual about that, right?
But what is unusual is that Wednesday's dominant performance added to what's become an unimaginable run from Miller. To the point where the stats he's putting up would be unrealistic in a video game.
Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Wednesday's outing meant that Miller had officially passed nine innings pitched this season. And in those 9.1 innings, he's allowed one hit. Not one hit per inning, one total hit. He's also allowed one walk, meaning that out of 30 total batters faced, two have reached base. His batting average allowed this season is .034. He's making professional hitters look worse than when pitchers hit.
But that's just one side of it. The other remarkable side is that of the 30 hitters he's faced, he's struck out 23 of them. Nearly 77% of hitters who've come to the plate against him have struck out. Last season, the MLB leader in strikeout percentage among qualified pitchers was Tarik Skubal at 32.2%.
Put differently, Miller's 23 K's in 9.1 innings correlates to just over 22 strikeouts per nine innings. For reference, the Major League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game is 20. That's only been achieved four times in baseball history.
Obviously, Miller is a reliever, not a starter, and it's easier to put up these kinds of numbers in sporadic outings compared to one game where hitters have multiple opportunities to face the same pitcher. Still, the scale of what he's doing is mind-boggling. And it's not just this season.
Source: The Latest & Most Breaking News With OutKick
