The San Diego Padres have loved what Mason Miller has done, and his incredible start to 2026 earned him the NL Reliever of the Month award.
The San Diego Padres have gotten off to a strong start in the 2026 MLB season despite disappointing performances from stars such as Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Entering the month of May, the Padres are neck and neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, and both Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta are injured with no firm timetable for a return.
Still, the Padres have managed to win games and remain competitive, and things go more encouraging on the pitching front when Griffin Canning made his San Diego debut on Sunday in a strong outing against the Chicago White Sox.
However, the best player for San Diego has been superstar closer Mason Miller, and it's not much of a debate.
Entering May 4, Miller has 11 saves with a 1.10 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 16.1 innings pitched.
Miller had a historic 34.2 inning scoreless streak which came to an end against the Chicago Cubs on April 27, but the closer has been dominant as can be.
In turn, Miller was named the National League Reliever of the Month for March/April, and Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland won the award for the American League.
Here were Miller's numbers for March and April.
Miller has struck out the side five times this season, and he has allowed just three walks with a grand total of seven hits, three of which came in that outing against the Cubs, where he allowed two runs.
Miller has a whopping 10.7 K/BB ratio, and he leads the majors in saves with 11.
David Bednar, Lucas Erceg and Riley O'Brien are all in second place with 9 saves.
Miller's outings have featured plenty of must-see clips, and it's easy to see why hitters have a difficult time even making contact with his pitches.
Last summer, the Padres acquired Miller and JP Sears in a deal with the Athletics that sent four players to the Athletics, including No. 3 prospect in baseball Leodalis De Vries.
Miller shared time with Robert Suarez last season with San Diego, but Suarez signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves in free agency, opening the way for Miller to become the go-to closer for San Diego.
And, so far, it has worked out. Whenever Miller takes the ball, you can pretty much assume the game is over, and he is becoming must-see television anytime he steps on the mound.