Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller is having a heck of a 2024 season, already making a strong case for earning AL Rookie of the Year. He has been a pleasant surprise for the A’s. But he certainly has some competition among notable candidates.
Is Mason Miller the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FhR7XiaJl4
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) May 25, 2024
Mason Miller Making Early Bid for Rookie of the Year
Making a Case for Miller
In terms of ROY candidates, Colton Cowser, Luis Gil, and Miller have all put themselves in the running. Gil in particular is performing very well for the New York Yankees candidate, with a sub 2.11 ERA in 55 1/3 innings pitched and 70 strikeouts. Some other candidates are Wilyer Abreu from the Boston Red Sox and Evan Carter from the Texas Rangers. But Miller has been putting out electric stuff for which he deserves credit. He has struck out nearly 66% of the batters he’s faced this year, which is absolutely insane consistency.
Miller also has five saves in which he had no less than three strikeouts and struck out every hitter he faced. What’s more impressive is that when you compare him to Mariano Rivera, this is precisely half of such games he had during his whole career. With nine, the single-season record for such saves goes to Edwin Díaz in 2018. It’s significant to note that there have only been five seasons in MLB history in which a closer has had more than five.
In the clip below, the last pitch is beautiful. It’s a breaking ball that screams its way to the edge of the top zone. It was a nasty pitch, and Miller struck out the side to earn his 10th save of the year on May 25th against the Houston Astros. A recent social media campaign around Miller is dubbed “Fear the Reaper,” referencing the 1976 Blue Oyster Cult hit. Miller can also throw with a lot of heat. Back on April 22nd, he threw a pitch at 103 mph slider, striking out Juan Soto. He’s even gone as far as throwing at 105 mph.
Mason Miller man… pic.twitter.com/UqlTeHhiJ0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 25, 2024
Miller Giving Back
Miller is an exciting pitcher to watch on the mound. The 20-year-old has been on quite a journey since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He has gone as far as meeting with young children with diabetes who play baseball and chatting with them. This is just the start for the youngster. He wants to expand his attempts by getting more involved with active outreach hereafter.
Miller has also taken pleasure in the chance to make a positive impression on the lives of young children. He certainly deserves some props for this honorable gesture he is partaking in. He represents himself as a great role model for aspiring baseball athletes. Miller earning Rookie of the Year would be a huge accomplishment for a young closer possibly looking for an expanded role. With the way he is pitching and him only signing a one-year contract with the A’s, there has been discussion about many potential landing spots for Miller. Any team would be lucky to land him.
Photo Credit: © Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
