Mason Miller Fantasy Stats

San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen officially announced on Wednesday that right-handed reliever Mason Miller will be the team's closer in 2026, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It formally ends any speculation that Miller would transition to a starting role with the Friars. The hard-throwing 27-year-old starred in a late-inning setup role in SD in the second half of last season after he was acquired from the Athletics in a blockbuster summer deal. He was always the obvious choice to succeed two-time All-Star closer Robert Suarez, who signed with the Braves in free agency. In 22 outings with the Padres in 2025, Miller had a microscopic 0.77 ERA and struck out a ridiculous 45 of the 83 batters he faced. Miller struck out eight of the nine Cubs hitters he faced in two appearances in the playoffs and tied the postseason record with eight straight K's. Pitching for what should be a competitive Padres team, Miller is in play as the best fantasy closer in baseball.

Right-handed reliever Mason Miller and the San Diego Padres avoided salary arbitration and settled on a one-year, $4 million deal on Thursday, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. This is Miller's first year of arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old flamethrowing closer began the 2025 season with the Athletics before being traded to the San Diego Padres in July. Miller had a combined 2.63 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 10 holds, 22 saves in 26 chances, 104 strikeouts, and 28 walks in his 61 2/3 innings during the regular season. There was talk of the Padres moving Miller to the starting rotation in 2026, but the team has pumped the brakes on that for now, and he's expected to be SD's primary closer next season. Since becoming a full-time reliever, Miller has been one of the most dominant bullpen arms in the game with a 43.1% strikeout rate the last two years. As a full-time closer for the Padres in 2026, he should be one of the first closers off the board in fantasy drafts this spring.

The New York Mets are among many MLB teams that are inquiring about San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Mason Miller, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. The Padres will listen to offers, but they "love him as much as anyone and would need to be overwhelmed." The Mets lost All-Star closer Edwin Diaz in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers, although they did sign reliever Devin Williams. In addition to Miller, the Mets could also be interested in trading for right-handed starter Nick Pivetta or outfielder Ramon Laureano. San Diego is looking to shed payroll and is reportedly interested in New York's prospects and younger position players. It's possible that the Friars also look to trade relievers Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada. Miller, who has been one of the hardest-throwing and most dominant closers in baseball the last couple of years, should be an elite closing target in fantasy baseball, regardless of where he's pitching in 2026.

San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said on Monday that the team will keep right-handers Mason Miller and David Morgan and left-hander Adrian Morejon in the bullpen next year rather than converting them to starters. "It's a risky proposition health-wise and performance-wise," Stammen said. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reasonably notes that the Padres are very much in the market for starting arms this offseason after losing right-hander Dylan Cease to free agency. Free-agent righty Michael King is also expected to depart for a multi-year contract. The flamethrowing Miller would have been very intriguing for fantasy baseball purposes as a starter, but instead, he'll remain an elite closing target in San Diego with former ninth-inning arm Robert Suarez expected to leave in free agency. Miller has been one of the best relievers in the game the last two years, posting a 2.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a dominant 43.1% strikeout rate in 126 2/3 innings.

When asked about San Diego Padres flame-throwing right-hander Mason Miller potentially moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation next year, general manager AJ Preller said the team will have more communication with the players moving forward, according to 97.3 The Fan in San Diego. The 27-year-old came up in the Athletics' system as a starter, but he has spent the last two years as a full-time reliever and has been one of the most dominant bullpen arms in that time. He was a first-time All-Star with the A's in 2024 and was just as good this year with the A's and Padres, posting a 2.63 ERA, 0.91 ERA, 104:28 K:BB and an absurd 15.2 K/9 in 61 2/3 regular-season innings of relief. What route the Padres go with Miller will likely depend on what happens in free agency, as they could lose closer Robert Suarez and starters Michael King and Dylan Cease. It's hard to imagine Miller being any more effective as a starter, but a move to the rotation would immediately make him one of the most sought-after starting arms in fantasy in 2026.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the San Diego Padres are acquiring Athletics relief pitcher Mason Miller and left-handed pitcher JP Sears. In exchange, the Padres are trading top infield prospect Leodalis De Vries, and right-handed pitchers Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Nunez. Miller is well-regarded as one of the top relief pitchers in the sport. This season, the hard-throwing right-hander has posted a 3.76 ERA with a stellar 1.02 WHIP across 38 1/3 innings of work. He has struck out an eye-catching 59 hitters while generating a 42.8% whiff rate. Under the hood, Miller has posted a 2.82 xERA, suggesting he should see significant positive regression during the final months of the season. With the Athletics, he has been deployed as their top closer, as he tallied 20 saves this season and 28 in 2024. However, in San Diego, Miller will pitch alongside Robert Suarez, who has tallied 30 saves, which is the most in the National League. While both pitchers should continue to provide strong ratios, they could limit each other's save opportunities, which will cap their fantasy upside during the final months of the season.

The Athletics reportedly told teams earlier this month that closer Mason Miller wouldn't be going anywhere by Thursday's trade deadline. However, that hasn't stopped the Athletics from engaging in discussions about the flamethrowing right-hander with inquiring clubs. The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres have all shown interest in Miller, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It's worth noting that the Phillies (Jhoan Duran) and Mets (Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers) have each traded for high-leverage relievers since Rosenthal's initial report came out. Furthermore, after acquiring Duran, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear that they're done adding relievers. The A's asked Philadelphia for prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter for Miller, per Rosenthal, but that was too rich for the Phillies' blood. The Yankees, meanwhile, would rather add pitching than subtract it. With that in mind, it doesn't seem that they'll match up on a Miller trade with the Athletics. The most intriguing scenario may be Miller to San Diego, which has interest in stretching him out as a starter by next season, Rosenthal writes. Miller made six starts as a rookie in 2023 and has since become one of the game's most electrifying relievers. It's unclear if the Padres and A's have made progress in talks, but Friars president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is making a push for Miller.

Athletics closer Mason Miller notched a four-out save to finish off a 5-2 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Miller entered a 5-2 game with two outs and runners on the corners in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he put out the fire by getting Jose Altuve to fly out. The 26-year-old retired back-to-back hitters to start the ninth before walking Cam Smith, but he induced a Jon Singleton flyout to nail down an A's win. Miller struck out one and totaled 23 pitches to record his 20th save in 23 tries. While Miller's 3.86 ERA over 37 1/3 innings is significantly higher than the 2.49 mark he put up in 65 frames last year, the right-hander has returned to his dominant form with 10 straight scoreless appearances. With the July 31 trade deadline coming up, the A's have reportedly told teams that Miller isn't going anywhere.

The Athletics have told teams they're wasting their time by even calling, saying that they're not trading closer Mason Miller. There's been a decent amount of buzz around MLB regarding the hard-throwing right-hander for the Athletics for quite some time. With the Athletics firmly out of the AL West race (16 games behind), rumors were speculating about the 26-year-old Miller potentially being traded. The Athletics have made it crystal clear to teams that they are not trading him. Miller's ERA this season isn't ridiculously impressive, at 4.04; however, most people know that his 2.84 xERA paints a better picture of where his numbers should be. His 14.38 K/9 and 101 mph fastball average (100th percentile) is what makes him such a hot commodity. So far this season, Miller has racked up 19 saves in 22 save opportunities. Fantasy managers should expect Miller to remain an Athletic for the foreseeable future.

The Athletics have made it clear to the rest of the league that they have no intention of dealing closer Mason Miller before the July 31 trade deadline, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. It's no surprise that teams have contacted the Athletics about Miller, as the electrifying 26-year-old is among the most valuable relievers in the game when you combine his performance and contract. He's making $765,000 this year and is scheduled to remain under team control through 2029. Instead of trading Miller for a haul, the A's appear content to keep the flamethrowing right-hander. Miller had a rough May in which he yielded 10 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings, but he has otherwise been highly effective. He has converted 19 of 22 saves and is riding a streak of eight straight scoreless appearances. Miller owns a 4.04 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and 57 strikeouts against 17 walks over 35 2/3 innings.