Mason Miller continues to raise his stock as the MLB trade deadline looms.
Miller, 27, recorded his 28th save of the 2026 season to seal the Padres’ 3-1 win over the Rockies on Wednesday — their fifth victory in a row.
Miller’s work has helped the Padres rise right back into the playoff race with just over two months left in the regular season. San Diego now sits 1½ games out of a National League Wild Card spot.
Miller’s recorded his last three outs on pitches clocked in at a blazing 102, 104, and 103 miles per hour.
At the end of Wednesday, FanGraphs listed the Padres’ playoff odds at 17.5%, the highest they have been since the end of June.
Many teams across the MLB are shopping for relievers, and Miller has easily been the best closer in baseball so far this season. Through 44 appearances this year, Miller has posted a 0.79 ERA with 85 strikeouts, and hitters are batting just .135 against the righty.
The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reported last week that Padres general manager AJ Preller wanted to be in a position to buy by the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
San Diego began the second half with five losses in seven games, but seems to be trending in the right direction recently.
It’s not Miller’s first experience with trade deadline talk. He was in a similar spot last season when San Diego acquired him at the deadline from the Athletics in exchange for highly-touted 19-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries, who is now the No. 2 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that teams interested in Miller should have “nobody off limits in [their] organizations,” meaning teams who are serious about acquiring the elite closer will likely have to be willing to part with some elite talent.
