Mason Miller is already rewriting the record books in his second season with the San Diego Padres. The hard-throwing closer reached a postseason milestone that no pitcher had achieved before, needing only 12 batters faced to record his 10th career playoff strikeout.
Miller reached the mark Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs, adding another chapter to an October run that began with a historic debut in 2025.
The right-hander helped San Diego finish off a 4-1 win in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series, completing a two-game sweep and sending the Padres into the next round.
According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Miller’s 10th postseason strikeout came against the 12th batter he had faced in the playoffs. That is the fewest batters any pitcher has needed to reach 10 career postseason strikeouts.
Miller struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning to secure his first career postseason save. He reached 10 strikeouts against 13 total batters faced in his postseason career, showing just how difficult he has been to hit on baseball’s biggest stage.
His postseason dominance began last year, when he struck out the first eight batters he faced in October. He also threw a 104.5 mph fastball to Carson Kelly, the fastest pitch recorded in postseason history since tracking began in 2008.
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The Padres now move on to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. San Diego’s bullpen played a major role in the Wild Card sweep, allowing just two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the series-clinching win.
With Miller waiting at the back end, the Padres have another weapon as they head into a tougher test against the National League’s top seed.
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