San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller has been named the National League Reliever of the Year for 2026. Miller earned all 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) to win the award in its inaugural year.
In addition to the BBWAA honor, Miller received the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award on Wednesday, an accolade voted on directly by major league relievers.
Dominant Campaign and All-MLB First Team Selection
Miller finished his first full year with the Padres leading all National League relief pitchers with a 1.67 ERA across 66 appearances and 70 innings pitched. He also posted an NL-best 47.3% strikeout rate among relievers while setting new career highs in workload.
His season featured an exceptionally strong start, going without allowing any runs until his tenth appearance, which was unearned, and holding off his first earned run until his 14th game. During that opening run, he struck out 61% of the batters he faced.
Miller experienced a slight decline in effectiveness late in the season and during the playoffs while managing his increased innings along with off-field personal events, including family illness, bereavement, and taking time away during the postseason for the birth of his first child.
Reflecting on his workload and performance down the stretch, Miller said, “I saw my consistency falter toward the end of the year… just find a way to be even more consistent and put together a complete season.”
At the MLB Awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Miller was also named to the All-MLB First Team alongside Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Louis Varland. San Diego outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. joined Miller on the First Team roster, featured in the outfield alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs and Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers.
