Mason Miller pulls off a historically absurd accomplishment

Mason Miller continues to be great at his job, and he is doing it at a historic rate in the 2026 MLB season.

On Sunday, Miller shut the door on the Los Angeles Dodgers to help the Padres end a brutal eight-game losing skid in a 5-2 win over the reigning World Series champions at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

The 27-year-old Miller pitched a scoreless and hitless ninth inning, while recording a strikeout to get his 22nd save of the campaign.

In doing so, he became just the first player since earned runs were first tracked in 1913 to post an ERA lower than 1.00 and have a  16.00 strikeout per nine innings or better through his first 35 appearances in a season, according to OptaSTATS.

Over his first 35 appearances this season, Miller has posted a 0.98 ERA and an average of 16.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Another interesting fact about his season is that he has yet to allow a home run across 36.2 innings. In 2025, he surrendered five home runs and posted a 2.63 ERA plus a 15.2 K/9 in 60 games split between the Athletics and the Padres.

Everything Miller is doing on the mound has made him a highly coveted trade target for reliever-needy teams ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and one of them could potentially land him if the Padres continue to fall behind in the National League playoff race.