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The early part of a baseball season is usually reserved for small-sample skepticism. Hot starts happen. Relievers run through stretches where everything clicks. But what Mason Miller is doing right now isn’t just a hot stretch. It’s becoming something far more rare and far more meaningful.
On Saturday night in Mexico City, Miller didn’t just close out a 6-4 win for the San Diego Padres over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He added another clean inning to a streak that is now etched into franchise history and creeping toward something even bigger. Miller’s scoreless run has reached 34 2/3 innings, the longest in Padres history for a reliever. That mark pushed him past former standout Cla Meredith and put him within striking distance of a much larger milestone: the longest scoreless streak by a reliever since 1961, currently held by Gregg Olson.
This is more than just a hot start
At a glance, the numbers almost look unreal. Through 13 appearances, Miller owns a 0.00 ERA with 10 saves. Opponents are hitting just .071 against him. His WHIP sits at a microscopic 0.38. Those aren’t just good closer numbers. Those are video game numbers.
More importantly, it’s how he’s doing it. There’s no traffic. No drama. No near misses. Miller has reached a point where even getting a baserunner feels like an accomplishment for opposing hitters. For a role built on high-pressure chaos, he’s bringing something closer to certainty.
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The Cy Young conversation is quietly starting
Closers rarely enter the Cy Young discussion unless they produce something historic. Miller is inching toward that threshold. If he continues anything close to this pace, voters will have to at least consider it. A reliever dominating to this extent while stacking saves for a first-place team checks every box that typically pushes a bullpen arm into award conversations.
And right now, the Padres are giving him that stage.
Padres finding ways to win behind their closer
Saturday’s win wasn’t a showcase of offensive firepower. The Padres managed just six hits, but they made them count. Ty France provided the biggest swing of the night with two home runs, while the lineup worked five walks to keep pressure on Arizona pitching.
On the mound, German Marquez handled the bulk of the game, allowing four earned runs over six innings. From there, the bullpen bridged the gap to Miller, who did what he’s done all season — shut the door without hesitation.
The win pushed San Diego to 18-8, just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tightly contested NL West race.
The bigger picture is getting harder to ignore
There’s a point where dominance forces a shift in how a player is viewed. Miller is approaching that line quickly. He’s no longer just one of the best closers in baseball this season. He’s becoming the story of the position. And if this streak continues, it won’t just be Padres history he’s chasing. It’ll be a place alongside some of the most untouchable relief performances the game has seen in decades.
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