Mason Miller's Historic Season: Chasing Four Reliever Records with the Padres The San Diego Padres made a blockbuster trade at last year’s trade deadline, acquiring Mason Miller from the Oakland Athletics in a deal that reshaped their bullpen. The move, which came with a significant price tag, has paid dividends so far, as Miller has emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in Major League Baseball. This season, he’s not only solidified his role as the Padres’ closer but also positioned himself to challenge for multiple records in the relief category. ESPN analyst David Schoenfield recently highlighted eight potential records Miller could pursue, though only four are realistically within reach. Schoenfield’s analysis focused on the eight categories Miller could target, including lowest batting average allowed, strikeout rate, strikeouts in a season, lowest OPS allowed, lowest ERA, most saves, most saves without blown, and highest WAR. Of these, Miller has a clear path to breaking the records for lowest batting average allowed, strikeout rate, lowest OPS allowed, and most saves without blown. However, the other four records—such as the all-time save record, strikeouts in a season, lowest ERA, and highest WAR—are deemed out of reach due to factors like innings limits and the nature of relief pitching. Miller’s performance this season has already drawn comparisons to some of the greatest relievers in history. He’s allowed batters to hit .121 against him, a figure that sits just 0.004 away from Kirby Yates’ 2024 record of .113. If Miller maintains his current pace, he could surpass Yates’ mark, especially if he continues to dominate with his high-velocity fastball and sharp breaking balls. His strikeout rate of 55.#san_diego_padres #aroldis_chapman #mason_miller #david_schoenfield #kirby_yates
MLB Top-10 Relief Pitchers Right Now for 2026 New Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz has been ranked as the third-best relief pitcher for the 2026 season by MLB Network’s The Shredder. This marks his first appearance on the list since 2024, when he placed sixth. The Shredder’s rankings include Díaz alongside other top relievers, with Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman ranked first. Other notable names include San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller in second, Cleveland Guardians’ Cade Smith in fourth, and Seattle Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz in fifth. The Dodgers’ Díaz is set to become the team’s first dedicated closer since Kenley Jansen in 2021. Díaz’s inclusion on the list follows a dominant 2025 season with the New York Mets, where he recorded 28 saves, a 1.63 ERA, and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. His performance earned him a third All-Star Game selection and a second Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year award. The Dodgers signed Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract, which includes a $9 million signing bonus and more than $13 million in deferrals. His average annual value of $23 million is the highest ever for a relief pitcher in MLB history. The Shredder’s rankings for 2026 are based on a combination of past performance, advanced statistics, traditional metrics, and analysis from the MLB Network research team. The rankings also reflect personal evaluations from analysts like Brian Kenny and Mike Petriello. Kenny placed Díaz fifth, while Petriello ranked him fourth. The Dodgers last had a reliever in The Shredder’s top-10 in 2024, when Evan Phillips placed fourth. Former Dodgers relievers like Tanner Scott (No. 7) and Kirby Yates (No. 8) were included in 2023’s rankings before joining the team.#los_angeles_dodgers #new_york_mets #mlb_network #the_shredder #aroldis_chapman
