Padres' Mason Miller Compared to Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera

When the San Diego Padres traded for star closer Mason Miller last season, it was likely even they didn't expect him to be as dominant as he's been.

San Diego moved multiple prospects in the massive trade, but none were bigger than top prospect Leo De Vries.

De Vries was one of the highest-ranked prospects ever to be traded at the deadline, and the Padres only did it for someone like Miller. Not only has Miller been one of the better relief pitchers over the last few years, but he is under team control until after the 2029 season.

Having Miller moving forward in the back of the bullpen was something that the Padres' front office desperately wanted to happen, and this team isn't shy about being aggressive. But what Miller has done since coming to San Diego is nothing short of incredible, and he has this bullpen clicking on all cylinders again.

His dominance on the mound has impressed everyone around the game of baseball, with some even comparing him to the great Mariano Rivera. Miller's teammate, Manny Machado, discussed the comparison with ESPN insider Buster Olney recently.

"Especially now with how the game is, where I'm just going to throw as hard as I can... and he has that stuff, but it's crazy to think that's not who he is. He's not just a thrower, he's actually a pitcher. Like he's going out there, and he reminds me a lot of Mariano," Machado said.

On the podcast, https://t.co/MatOy70Lju Manny Machado compared the stuff of Mason Miller with that of the GOAT, Mariano Rivera. pic.twitter.com/zHOGN3QK0A
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 25, 2026

Machado also compared Miller to great closers Trevor Hoffman and Kenley Jansen, both of whom are two of the best to do it. But what Miller has been doing recently could put him into the conversation as the best of all time if he were to keep this going.

Miller began the year with a 34.2-inning scoreless streak that dated back to the 2025 season. His ability on the mound has been something special to watch, and the Padres have been heavily benefiting from it.

The Padres' bullpen as a whole is one of the best in baseball, but Miller just makes them lights out. Having a guy like this to take over late-game situations is a major advantage for San Diego, and Miller gives them confidence that the game is in good hands.

Since coming to San Diego, Miller has seemed to enjoy himself with the Padres. The right-hander told Padres on SI that the team has helped him get even better this season, and that he is happy where he is.

“I think that the environment that [pitching coach Ruben Niebla] has been able to cultivate for pitchers — and that speaks more to the organization and everybody else involved too, because I think it extends outside the pitching staff — the results and the success of the pitching here in recent years under Ruben is undeniable for sure. I think he does a great job of empowering his guys, supporting them, pushing them, challenging them," Miller said.

For the season, Miller has appeared in 16 games posting an ERA of 1.10 and notching 11 saves in the process. His start to 2026 has been exciting to see, and if he were to keep up these strong numbers, he could end up in the Cy Young conversation at the end of the year.

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