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San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and Toronto Blue Jays closer Louis Varland have been named the winners of the inaugural Baseball Writers Association of America Reliever of the Year award. The BBWAA introduced the honor this season to be presented annually alongside other major accolades such as the Cy Young, MVPs, Rookies, and Managers of the Year.
Award Details and Voting Structure
The newly established BBWAA Reliever of the Year honor operates independently from the Mariano Rivera Award and the Trevor Hoffman Award, which respectively recognize the top relievers in the American League and National League through a panel of former relief pitchers. Ballots for the new BBWAA prize are cast by BBWAA members, consisting of two representatives per MLB city in each league, with votes submitted prior to the start of the postseason to focus strictly on regular-season achievements.
National League: Mason Miller, Padres
Mason Miller claimed the first-ever National League award after a dominant campaign that featured a 1.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts across 70 innings. He paced all pitchers with a 3.9 WAR, led the NL with 38 saves and 57 games finished, and dominated the field in strikeout rate at 47.4 percent.
Acquired by San Diego from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline in a blockbuster six-player deal, Miller has recorded a 1.45 ERA during his time with the Padres. This marks the first major career award for Miller, who outpaced finalists Trevor Megill of the Brewers and Jhoan Duran of the Phillies in the voting.
American League: Louis Varland, Blue Jays
Louis Varland secured the American League honor following a stellar year that included a qualified-reliever-leading 1.27 ERA and an AL-high 3.1 WAR. He recorded 87 strikeouts across 78 innings, collected 35 saves, and tied for second during the regular season with eight saves of at least four outs.
Acquired by Toronto from his hometown Minnesota Twins at the 2025 trade deadline, Varland earned his first career All-Star selection and first award votes this season. He defeated fellow finalists Cade Smith of the Guardians and Bryan Baker of the Rays to claim the honor.
