After arriving in a costly 2025 deadline blockbuster, Padres closer Mason Miller just turned a historic scoreless streak into unanimous National League Reliever of the Year honors.
The San Diego Padres' decision to acquire Mason Miller from the Athletics ahead of the 2025 trade deadline continues to pay off. Since arriving in San Diego, the hard-throwing closer has proved why he ranks among the best relievers in baseball, capping off his 2026 campaign with the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award.
Miller's dominance separated him from the rest of the league. On Wednesday, he became the eighth unanimous recipient of the Trevor Hoffman Award while also claiming the inaugural BBWAA National League Reliever of the Year Award ahead of finalists Jhoan Duran of the Philadelphia Phillies and Trevor Megill of the Milwaukee Brewers.
One of the defining stretches of Miller's season was his historic run of scoreless baseball. Building on his strong finish to 2025, he set a Padres franchise record with 34 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings early in 2026, showcasing elite control and consistency.
Miller finished the regular season with a 5-2 record and a 1.67 ERA across 66 appearances and 70 innings. He converted 38 of 41 save opportunities and posted a 0.90 WHIP, allowing just 37 hits and 13 earned runs while issuing 26 walks. His power arm remained nearly unhittable, racking up 129 strikeouts an average of nearly two per inning to give San Diego a lock-down option in the ninth.
Despite taking home baseball's top relief honors, Miller had mixed feelings about how the year ended. Speaking with Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the closer admitted he could not feel fully satisfied with the season following San Diego's early postseason exit.
The Padres' run ended against Megill and the Brewers in the National League Division Series. Miller took the loss in Game 2 after working 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and three walks before Jackson Chourio delivered a walk-off single for Milwaukee. Asking Miller for six outs was a tall order, but manager Craig Stammen wanted the ball in his best reliever's hands a move that underscored the club's trust in him even in defeat.
San Diego's initial trade for Miller drew scrutiny because of the steep prospect cost, as the Padres sent a four-player package headlined by top shortstop prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics for Miller and left-hander JP Sears. His production has quickly justified that aggressive price tag.
Surrounded by a deep bullpen featuring Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam, and Adrian Morejon, Miller anchored one of the National League's top relief corps. While October ended in frustration, his historic streak and unanimous hardware give the Padres every reason to feel confident about the back end of their bullpen heading into 2027.