Oakland Athletics' Mason Miller Throws 15 Pitches at 100+ MPH in Debut vs. Chicago Cubs
Yes, the Oakland Athletics lost again on Wednesday afternoon.
The A's have the worst record in baseball at 3-16. They were pummeled by the Cubs, 12-2.
Despite the loss, there was some rays of positivity as youngster Mason Miller was promoted before the game and made his major league debut.
The righty, who was drafted in the third round of the 2021 draft, started the game and tossed 4.1 innings. He allowed just two runs and stuck out five. More impressively, he threw 15 pitches of greater than 100 mph, including this one that struck out former National League MVP Cody Bellinger.
In throwing that many pitches over 100 mph, Miller made a little history as well. The MLB Pipeline account tweeted the following:
"Mason Miller touched 100 mph 15 times in his MLB debut today. The A's No. 3 prospect became just the 10th starting pitcher in the Statcast era to reach the mark 15 or more times in a game."
Miller is from Pittsburgh, PA and was drafted out of Gardner-Webb. For more on Miller, who is the A's No. 3 overall prospect, this is from the MLB.com prospect page:
Miller is the No. 3 prospect overall in the A's system at this point. Here's more on him from the MLB.com prospects profile page:
"Transferring from Waynesburg to Gardner-Webb University in 2021, his 3.30 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 92 2/3 that year led to the A’s signing him for $599,100 as a third-round Draft pick. Though a scapula strain in his right shoulder kept him out of action until the end of August, he received some much-needed extra work in the Arizona Fall League and impressed with a 3.24 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 16 2/3 innings.
A power arm who can light up the radar gun at triple digits, Miller also brings what is looking more and more like a wipeout slider. He continues to work on integrating a mid-80s changeup as a third offering, though that pitch still could use some developing.
There’s no question Miller can throw a bunch of strikes with his big arm, and his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame seems durable enough to hold up as a starter."
