Mason Miller didn’t see it coming. That’s the thing about moments like this — they hit you when you least expect them, and they hit hard.
The San Diego Padres right-handed reliever was named to his first All-Star Game this week, and the team’s reaction in the clubhouse was everything you’d want to see. The video the Padres posted on social media shows Miller standing there, half-smiling, half-stunned, as his teammates chant his name and coach Craig Stammen steps up to say a few words.
“He’s a leader and a great teammate,” Stammen said in the locker room. “He’s absolutely crushed it. He’s having a historical season — 0.78 ERA with a 50 percent strikeout rate. Just absolutely unbelievable. Mason, congratulations.”
Miller, now in his fourth MLB season and second with San Diego, has been a franchise bright spot in what’s otherwise been a grind of a year for the Padres. He currently sits at 43-45, third in the NL West, and riding an eight-game losing streak after getting shut out 3-0 by the Dodgers on Friday night.
But for one night, none of that mattered.
Miller’s reaction says it all
Standing in front of his teammates, Miller didn’t try to deflect or downplay the honor. But he also made it clear this wasn’t just about him.
“Obviously an incredible individual honor,” Miller said. “But I think I take more pride in the fact that I could represent this group and what we’re doing here most years. It’s not one guy. But this year I think I represent us well. I’m excited to get back here. It’s happening, you guys, too. We know what’s in this room. We know what lies ahead. It’s better baseball.”
That last part — “it’s better baseball” — felt like a promise.
The Padres have been scuffling, no question. They got blanked by the Dodgers on Friday, with Los Angeles scratching across runs in the third, sixth and eighth innings. San Diego’s bats went quiet against a pitching staff that seems to have their number lately. They’re currently sitting behind both the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks in the division standings, though they still hold a lead over the Giants and Rockies.
What this All-Star nod means for Miller’s trajectory
A 0.78 ERA with a strikeout rate that rounds to half the batters he faces? Those aren’t just All-Star numbers. Those are numbers that get people talking about reliever of the year, maybe even something bigger down the line. Miller has been nails out of the bullpen, and his stuff — a fastball that touches triple digits, a wipeout slider — plays against anyone.
The Padres close out their series against the Dodgers on July 5 at Petco Park. They need a win. Badly. But for one moment in the locker room, with a video camera rolling and his teammates yelling his name, Mason Miller got to just feel good.
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