Padres' Mason Miller Predicted to Finish Behind Dodgers Closer in Key Stat

The San Diego Padres have arguably the best closer in baseball, but Mason Miller is predicted to finish behind Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz in one key stat.

MLB.com's Manny Randhawa believes Diaz will lead the National League in saves, recording more than Miller in 2026.

"Consistently one of baseball’s best closers over the past several years, Díaz saved 28 games with a 1.63 ERA and a 38% strikeout rate for the Mets last year," Ranhawa writes. "Now with the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers, he might get even more chances to close games out in 2026. This is a guy who saved 57 games for the Mariners in 2018, and he has 253 saves for his career."

Regardless, Randhawa heaped high praise for Miller's fastball and his prowess as one of the top closers in MLB.

"Miller is simply overpowering. With a four-seam fastball that averaged 101.2 mph last year, along with a devastating slider, the right-hander held opponents to a .139 batting average against him in 2025. He struck out an incredible 44.4% of hitters he faced, and his whiff rate was 45.2%. The word 'unfair' comes to mind often when he’s on the mound because he’s just that good."

Last season, Miller sported a microscopic 0.77 ERA across 22 relief appearances for San Diego, while adding two saves and 45 strikeouts.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller orchestrated the trade of the deadline to get the Padres the crown jewel of the relief market in Miller. The Padres bullpen was already lethal as the team made history by sending three relievers to the All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Miller's arrival cemented the unit as the best bullpen in baseball and he's projected to anchor the group in 2026.

There was speculation surrounding whether Miller would remain in the bullpen or transition to starting pitching in his first full season with the Friars. The Padres starting rotation depth is currently bleak as Joe Musgrove is going to start the season on the injured list.

Nevertheless, Preller appears to be confident in the team's internal options as veteran pitchers such as Walker Buehler performed well enough this spring and could make a huge impact in the rotation this season.

Mason Miller Hasn't Closed Door on Starting Pitching

Miller acknowleged it was best to remain in the bullpen for the 2026 season, but he didn't explicitly say he would never join the starting rotation.

“I think, just right now, it makes the most sense to stay with that success, stay where I know that I’m going to make an impact on this team," Miller said.

“I’m focused on this year, of course. We’ll always have conversations, and I love how good the communication is here. I don’t feel like decisions are being made without me being a part of them. … Hopefully, touch wood, we have a lot of time together here. And who knows where it goes?”