Anatomy Of An Inning: Mason Miller Strikes Out The Side

[Greg Spicer]

Mason Miller has been everything fans hoped for in San Diego. The flamethrowing righty was a controversial deadline addition due to the sacrifice of top prospect Leo De Vries, but the flurry of strikeouts and dominant performances he’s provided have eased the pain. 

In his first five appearances with the Padres, Miller has put up the following stats: 

• 5.1 IP
• 1 Save
• 3 Holds
• 3.38 ERA
• 2.17 FIP
• 60% Strikeout Rate
• 10% Walk Rate

Although Miller put together some exciting performances in his first few games, no inning was more dominant than his eighth-inning hold against the division rival San Francisco Giants on Monday. The righty reliever showed off his entire arsenal at top form while holding the Padres' 4-1 lead. 

Miller faced the 8-9-1 hitters in the Giants lineup and started things out with a 100.5 mph fastball to Giants second baseman Christian Koss. Koss has struggled in a limited time in 2025 and possesses just an 84 wRC+ against right-handers; given the rookie Koss’s low experience and struggles against righties, this was a favorable matchup for Miller (0.90 FIP / 48.4% K-Rate against right-handed batters in 2025).

After Koss missed the first pitch heater, Miller went in with a hard slider that never had a chance to be effective. The 88.3 mph breaker missed way up, evening the count at 1-1. 

Following that hiccup, it was all Miller. 

He came back with the juice, attacking Koss with a 100.7 mph, high fastball. It got just enough of the zone for Koss to bite, but he couldn’t catch up and fouled it off. 

With two strikes, Miller gave the breaking ball another try, and this time, it was a filthy one. The 89.3 mph slider broke a ridiculous 11 inches, sending Koss flailing at the pitch way off the plate. 

Next up, Miller had the Giants' nine hitter, Drew Gilbert. The newly called-up rookie had just recorded his first-ever MLB hit earlier in the game. The momentum from that milestone, combined with Gilbert's lefty bat, made him a slightly tougher matchup for Miller than Koss was. 

Unfazed by his new opponent, Miller went right back to what ended the last at bat. He threw a tight, 88.9 mph slider that broke 10 inches low and inside, causing him to whiff on the first pitch of the at-bat. 

Although Giants fans are heard in the background of the broadcast begging for Miller to “give 'em a heater,” Padres catcher Freddie Fermin had different plans. 

The failed swing on the first pitch showed Ferman that Gilbert was sitting fastball, so for the next pitch, he signaled Miller to execute a simple breaking ball. 

Miller eased an 88.5 mph slider over the heart of the plate. Gilbert lunged at it, but ultimately didn’t have the timing to try and swing, leaving him with nothing but a taken strike right down the middle. 

For his final pitch of this sequence, Miller threw the nastiest off-speed of the night. Surprisingly, it wasn’t another slider. Instead, Miller threw just his 13th change-up of the season, and it was his best one yet. 

The 92.5 mph change-up ran an incomprehensible 14 inches. What started out looking like a meaty fastball on the outside of the plate ended as a parachute that was nowhere near the strike zone. Once again, Miller had a batter flailing, and once again, it ended with a strikeout. 

This change-up gives promise for San Diego’s potential long-term ambitions with Miller. In my trade deadline analysis of his future in San Diego, I said that Miller needed two things to become a starter. One of those was a third pitch to help him against lefties. Seeing him throw one of the best change-ups of the entire MLB season could mean that he is getting more comfortable with an expanding arsenal. The movement is there, and the speed differential is good enough; it’s now on Miller and pitching coach Ruben Niebla to mold it into a consistent third option. 

Before he could celebrate his career-altering change-up, though, Miller had one more batter to face in Heliot Ramos. The 2024 All-Star has had a nice sophomore year, hitting to a 116 wRC+. 

To start, Miller chucked a 101.4 mph fastball down the heart of the plate that Ramos was ready for. Thankfully, he swung through it, and Fermin squeezed the foul tip.  

Fermin and Miller were not messing around; it was only going to be fastballs against Ramos. The electricity in Miller’s arm did get the best of him for a couple of pitches, though. After strike one, he missed way high with two fastballs that got Ramos back into the at-bat. 

With the count at 2-1, Miller bounced back with a 101 mph heater down the pipe that Ramos fouled off. 

After settling down, it seemed that Miller ramped back up too quickly. His first attempt at finishing Ramos failed, as he then sent a 102.2 mph fastball flying to the backstop. 

With the count full at 3-2, and Miller having only thrown heaters in the at-bat, he needed to give Ramos his best stuff. Deciding not to overthink it, Fermin called for another fastball. 

Miller executed perfectly this time with the fastest pitch of the game. The 102.6 mph high fastball nearly caught on fire as it hit the glove. It flew past Ramos’s bat as he swung hopelessly. Ramos never stood a chance. 

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