Padres' Closer Mason Miller Vying for Rare Cy Young History

Miller's dominant start has him in the conversation for the prestigious award.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 2:09pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the fractured, overlapping motions of a baseball pitcher's windup and delivery, rendered in the Padres' team colors of navy blue, orange, and white.Mason Miller's dominant pitching performance has put the Padres' closer in rare Cy Young contention.San Diego Today

San Diego Padres' right-handed closer Mason Miller is off to an historically dominant start to the 2026 MLB season, striking out 19 batters in just 7.1 innings while converting all of his save opportunities. His historic performance has put him in the conversation for the National League Cy Young Award, a rare feat for a relief pitcher.

Why it matters

Winning the Cy Young Award as a closer is an incredibly rare accomplishment, with only one reliever (Eric Gagne in 2003) earning the prestigious honor in the last two decades. Miller's dominance could make him the second closer in over 20 years to claim the award, further cementing his status as one of the game's elite late-inning arms.

The details

Through his first seven appearances of the 2026 season, the 27-year-old Miller has faced 24 batters, striking out 19 of them for a staggering 23.3 strikeouts per 9 innings. He's allowed just one hit and one walk, converting all of his save opportunities and posting a negative Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) of -1.65, a historically low mark. His performance has drawn comparisons to all-time great closers like Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.

  • Miller has made 7 appearances so far in the 2026 MLB season.

The players

Mason Miller

A 27-year-old right-handed closer for the San Diego Padres who is off to a historically dominant start to the 2026 season.

Eric Gagne

The last relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, which he accomplished in 2003 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Trevor Hoffman

One of the greatest closers in MLB history, who spent the majority of his career with the San Diego Padres.

Mariano Rivera

Considered by many to be the best relief pitcher of all time, Rivera spent his entire 19-year career with the New York Yankees.

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What they’re saying

“Miller is closing games for the Padres in such dominant fashion that it's invoking memories of Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, two of the best closers of all-time.”

— Jim Bowden, Columnist

What’s next

If Miller can maintain this historic level of dominance throughout the entire 2026 season, he will likely remain in the conversation for the National League Cy Young Award, which would be a rare accomplishment for a relief pitcher.

The takeaway

Mason Miller's historically dominant start to the 2026 season has put him in rare company, with the Padres' closer potentially becoming just the second relief pitcher in over 20 years to win the prestigious Cy Young Award. His performance has drawn comparisons to all-time great closers, further cementing his status as one of the game's elite late-inning arms.