SI

A’s Pitcher Mason Miller Lights Up the Radar Gun With Six Straight Pitches Over 101 mph

Dan Gartland

Oakland’s Mason Miller has been throwing some serious heat this season.
Oakland’s Mason Miller has been throwing some serious heat this season. /
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Oakland Athletics fans don’t have much to feel good about these days, but reliever Mason Miller is the exception.

Miller, a 25-year-old who made his big league debut last season, is throwing gas like no one else in the majors right now. He notched his second save of the season on Thursday night against the Texas Rangers, mowing down the side in order with two strikeouts and an infield popup. One of those strikeout victims was All-Star shortstop Corey Seager, who Miller dispatched easily with a terrifying sequence of high-velocity fastballs.

But that video somehow undersells the heat Miller was throwing in Arlington. Miller needed just 16 pitches to record three outs. Seven of them were sliders. The other nine were fastballs, all of which were clocked at 101 mph or faster. At one point, he threw six straight pitches that were at least 101 mph. Two pitches—both to the final batter of the night, Wyatt Langford—exceeded 103 mph on the radar gun. Those were the two fastest pitches anyone in the majors has thrown so far this season.

Miller has thrown 126 pitches this season, 70 of which have been fastballs. Of those 70, 46 have been at least 100 mph. That’s 67% of his fastballs in triple digits. No other pitcher in the majors has thrown more than 24 pitches at 100 mph or faster (Michael Kopech of the Chicago White Sox).

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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