{"id":118790,"date":"2026-04-13T16:39:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T20:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=118790"},"modified":"2026-04-13T16:39:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T20:39:07","slug":"mason-millers-historic-start-can-the-padres-closer-become-mlbs-first-cy-young-winner-since-2003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/04\/13\/mason-millers-historic-start-can-the-padres-closer-become-mlbs-first-cy-young-winner-since-2003\/","title":{"rendered":"Mason Miller\u2019s Historic Start: Can the Padres Closer Become MLB\u2019s First Cy Young Winner Since 2003?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"329\" data-end=\"491\">The 2026 MLB season is barely underway, but one name is already forcing his way into the biggest conversations in baseball: <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Mason Miller<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"493\" data-end=\"543\">And not just for highlights or radar gun readings.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"545\" data-end=\"571\">For something much bigger.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"573\" data-end=\"806\">Through the first couple weeks of the season, Miller has been nothing short of untouchable. A 0.00 ERA. A microscopic WHIP. Strikeouts piling up at a jaw-dropping rate. Hitters overmatched, late-game situations locked down with ease.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"808\" data-end=\"919\">It\u2019s the kind of dominance that makes you stop and ask a question that almost never gets asked in today\u2019s game:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"921\" data-end=\"970\"><strong data-start=\"921\" data-end=\"970\">Can a closer actually win the Cy Young Award?<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1hode4v\" data-start=\"977\" data-end=\"1014\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"980\" data-end=\"1014\">A Start That Demands Attention<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_108390\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108390\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-108390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27059181_168400885_lowres.jpg 2045w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-108390\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sep 11, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) throws during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"1016\" data-end=\"1175\">Pitching out of the bullpen for the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/SDP\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">San Diego Padres<\/span><\/span><\/a>, Miller has quickly established himself as one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/07\/31\/padres-acquire-mason-miller\/\" target=\"_self\">most electric arms in baseball<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1177\" data-end=\"1197\">Early 2026 snapshot:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1198\" data-end=\"1355\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1qwm81m\" data-start=\"1198\" data-end=\"1215\"><strong data-start=\"1200\" data-end=\"1208\">ERA:<\/strong> 0.00<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"k5gk65\" data-start=\"1216\" data-end=\"1251\"><strong data-start=\"1218\" data-end=\"1228\">Saves:<\/strong> Among league leaders<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1lvc9tf\" data-start=\"1252\" data-end=\"1313\"><strong data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1269\">Strikeouts:<\/strong> Double-digit dominance in limited innings<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"b45oxt\" data-start=\"1314\" data-end=\"1355\"><strong data-start=\"1316\" data-end=\"1325\">WHIP:<\/strong> Nearly unhittable territory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1357\" data-end=\"1401\">This isn\u2019t just effective\u2014it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/04\/05\/padres-prove-they-have-some-fight-in-them-yet-best-red-sox-in-rubber-match\/\" target=\"_self\">overwhelming<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1403\" data-end=\"1597\">Armed with a triple-digit fastball and a wipeout slider, Miller isn\u2019t pitching to contact. He\u2019s eliminating it entirely. At times, it looks like opposing hitters are guessing\u2014and guessing wrong.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1599\" data-end=\"1661\">In an era filled with elite velocity, Miller still stands out.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"6akkz4\" data-start=\"1668\" data-end=\"1698\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"1671\" data-end=\"1698\">The Eric Gagne Standard<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56612\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-56612\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/09\/Most-Saves-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Gagne's achievements during his relatively brief tenure make him one ofthe greatest closers in Dodgers history.\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-56612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/09\/Most-Saves-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/09\/Most-Saves.jpg 594w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-56612\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LOS ANGELES &#8211; AUGUST 31: Eric Gagne #38 relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers throws on his way to his 46th save of the season against the Colorado Rockies during the game at Dodger Stadium on August 31, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers won 3-0. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"1700\" data-end=\"1779\">To understand Miller\u2019s uphill climb, you have to go back more than two decades.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1781\" data-end=\"1938\">The last\u2014and only modern-era\u2014closer to win a Cy Young Award was <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gagneer01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Eric Gagne<\/span><\/span><\/a> in 2003 with the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/LAD\/2005.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Los Angeles Dodgers<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1940\" data-end=\"1969\">Gagne\u2019s season was legendary:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1970\" data-end=\"2070\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1xme95m\" data-start=\"1970\" data-end=\"1984\"><strong data-start=\"1972\" data-end=\"1984\">55 saves<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1ob1p0j\" data-start=\"1985\" data-end=\"1999\"><strong data-start=\"1987\" data-end=\"1999\">1.20 ERA<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1bv6key\" data-start=\"2000\" data-end=\"2036\"><strong data-start=\"2002\" data-end=\"2036\">137 strikeouts in 82.1 innings<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"14wnm0y\" data-start=\"2037\" data-end=\"2070\">Perfect in save opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2072\" data-end=\"2132\">He didn\u2019t just dominate\u2014he <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/03\/four-greatest-closers-dodgers-franchise-history\/\" target=\"_self\">defined dominance for a reliever<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2134\" data-end=\"2245\">And even then, it took a historic, once-in-a-generation performance to sway voters away from starting pitchers.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1nxg65m\" data-start=\"2252\" data-end=\"2303\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"2255\" data-end=\"2303\">Why the Cy Young Is So Difficult for Closers<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2305\" data-end=\"2394\">Despite Miller\u2019s jaw-dropping start, history\u2014and voting patterns\u2014are working against him.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2396\" data-end=\"2418\">The reality is simple:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2419\" data-end=\"2551\">\n<li data-section-id=\"19npvaw\" data-start=\"2419\" data-end=\"2457\">Starters throw 180\u2013200 innings<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"jdani6\" data-start=\"2458\" data-end=\"2503\">Closers typically pitch 60\u201370 innings<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1p3x1lf\" data-start=\"2504\" data-end=\"2551\">Voters value durability alongside dominance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2553\" data-end=\"2644\">Even if a reliever is the most unhittable pitcher in baseball, the question always becomes:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2646\" data-end=\"2712\"><em data-start=\"2646\" data-end=\"2712\">Did he impact the season enough compared to a frontline starter?<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2714\" data-end=\"2759\">That\u2019s the barrier Miller must break through.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1f4cvaq\" data-start=\"2766\" data-end=\"2811\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"2769\" data-end=\"2811\">What a Cy Young Season Would Look Like<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2813\" data-end=\"2959\">If <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Mason Miller<\/span><\/span> is going to seriously contend for the Cy Young, he won\u2019t just need to be great\u2014he\u2019ll need to be historic.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2961\" data-end=\"3016\">We\u2019re talking about a season that looks something like:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3017\" data-end=\"3158\">\n<li data-section-id=\"xklzyh\" data-start=\"3017\" data-end=\"3039\"><strong data-start=\"3019\" data-end=\"3037\">ERA under 1.00<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"6h6t8o\" data-start=\"3040\" data-end=\"3059\"><strong data-start=\"3042\" data-end=\"3057\">40\u201350 saves<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1bm0ahg\" data-start=\"3060\" data-end=\"3102\"><strong data-start=\"3062\" data-end=\"3100\">100+ strikeouts in limited innings<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1c8f1st\" data-start=\"3103\" data-end=\"3158\">Complete dominance in every high-leverage situation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3160\" data-end=\"3273\">In other words, he would need to replicate\u2014or even exceed\u2014the level set by <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Eric Gagne<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3275\" data-end=\"3373\">Anything less, and the advantage likely shifts back to starting pitchers logging far more innings.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"fhr7cb\" data-start=\"3380\" data-end=\"3408\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"3383\" data-end=\"3408\">The Realistic Outlook<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3410\" data-end=\"3427\">So, can he do it?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3429\" data-end=\"3496\">The honest answer: It\u2019s unlikely\u2014but absolutely not impossible.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3498\" data-end=\"3549\">More realistic outcomes for Miller in 2026 include:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3550\" data-end=\"3654\">\n<li data-section-id=\"frvsz4\" data-start=\"3550\" data-end=\"3576\"><strong data-start=\"3552\" data-end=\"3574\">All-Star selection<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1jnqk68\" data-start=\"3577\" data-end=\"3621\"><strong data-start=\"3579\" data-end=\"3619\">National League Reliever of the Year<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"8dsy4n\" data-start=\"3622\" data-end=\"3654\"><strong data-start=\"3624\" data-end=\"3652\">Top 5\u201310 Cy Young finish<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3656\" data-end=\"3788\">But if he continues at this pace\u2014and more importantly, sustains it deep into the summer\u2014he could force voters into a serious debate.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3790\" data-end=\"3836\">Because dominance like this is hard to ignore.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"nk1st7\" data-start=\"3843\" data-end=\"3876\"><span role=\"text\"><strong data-start=\"3846\" data-end=\"3876\">Why This Matters Right Now<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_109429\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109429\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"The 2025 Cy Young Award winners are Tarik Skubal (AL) and Paul Skenes (NL).\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-109429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/USATSI_26954852_168400885_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109429\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aug 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cy Young award trophies of Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers Sandy Koufax, Eric Gagne and Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"3878\" data-end=\"4032\">Baseball is always evolving. Roles are changing. Bullpens are more valuable than ever. And elite closers are being used in increasingly impactful moments.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4034\" data-end=\"4140\">If there were ever a time for a reliever to break through and win a Cy Young Award again, it would be now.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4142\" data-end=\"4245\">And right now, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Mason Miller<\/span><\/span> is pitching like the guy who could make it happen.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4247\" data-end=\"4293\">The season is young. The sample size is small.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4295\" data-end=\"4335\">But the statement has already been made.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4337\" data-end=\"4439\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">And if he keeps this up, we won\u2019t just be talking about a great season\u2014we\u2019ll be talking about history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 MLB season is barely underway, but one name is already forcing his way into the biggest conversations in baseball: Mason Miller. And not just for highlights or radar gun readings. For something much bigger. Through the first couple weeks of the season, Miller has been nothing short of untouchable. A 0.00 ERA. A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":115776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"702","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,4454,2,33,1071],"tags":[5365,92,28481,4666,93],"class_list":["post-118790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-padres","category-baseball-history","category-featured","category-dodgers","category-mlb","tag-eric-gagne","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-mason-miller","tag-padres-featured","tag-san-diego-padres"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118790"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118793,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118790\/revisions\/118793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}