San Diego Padres star closing pitcher Mason Miller is being recognized as the best at his position in all of Major League Baseball.

Miller was unanimously crowned the league’s National League Reliever of the Year after compiling a 38-save season.

This year is the first time the Baseball Writers’ Association of America has voted on the award, and it differs from Trevor Hoffman winning the Rolaids Relief Man Award in 2006 and 1998.

Last year, Miller was selected to his second career All-Star Game, and made 66 appearances for the Padres and converted 38 of 41 save opportunities, while recording a 1.67 ERA and a 0.900 WHIP.

Before 2026, the highest number of saves Miller had was in his rookie season in 2024, notching 28 saves in 55 appearances with the Oakland A’s.

Miller finished last season tied in the National League for saves with Riley O’Brien of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Miller finished ahead of Jhoan Duran of the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished with 24 second-place votes, and Trevor McGill of the Milwaukee Brewers, who only had two votes for second place.

During the playoffs last October, Miller made MLB history in the Padres’ National League Wild Card series victory over the Chicago Cubs, where he earned his 10th career postseason strikeout after facing his 12th career batter in the playoffs.

Breaking a record was nothing new for Miller last year, as he also set the Padres’ scoreless-innings record by throwing 34 2/3 consecutive innings without giving up a run last season.

While last season was a year filled with memorable moments for Miller and the Padres, they would probably like to forget how it ended, after they were eliminated in Game 4 of the NLDS to the Milwaukee Brewers.

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