Mason Miller Set to Pitch For Team USA In World Baseball Classic

If everything goes to plan, Mason Miller could be striking out Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

That is because Miller, the San Diego Padres' closer, was named to the U.S. roster on Thursday. Miller joins starters Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Logan Webb, among others, as committing to play for the U.S. Skubal and Skenes were this year's AL and NL Cy Young Award winners, respectively.

Miller, acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline from the Athletics, notched 22 saves in 26 chances between the two teams, including two saves in three opportunities with San Diego. Miller mainly served as the setup man for Robert Suarez, who was a free agent this offseason and recently signed with Atlanta.

Miller has a 0.77 ERA and 1.12 FIP in 22 appearances with the Padres. He had a 54.2 strikeout percentage after the trade.