Mason Miller’s dominance for the San Diego Padres has earned him the NL Reliever of the Month award for May—his third straight such honor—matching a run last seen when Edwin Díaz won in 2022. In eight May appearances, Miller went 7 for 7 in saves with an untou
When Mason Miller walks into the ninth. the moment has felt less like a save situation and more like a verdict for opponents. The San Diego Padres’ reliever has turned leverage into routine since San Diego traded for him from the Athletics at last year’s trade deadline—and on Wednesday. he collected the latest proof.
Miller was awarded the NL Reliever of the Month award for May. It is the third time in a row he has received it. AJ Cassavell noted that Miller has been a Padre for four full months and has won Reliever of the Month in three of them. making him the first player to win three straight Reliever of the Month Awards since Edwin Díaz in 2022.
The numbers from May explain why the hardware is landing where it should. Miller only appeared in eight games during the month because of the Padres’ lack of success, but he still delivered seven saves. He recorded one loss as well—coming against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That lone loss carried a painful detail: due to a throwing error by Miller. the Dodgers scored a go-ahead run late in a game. But even with that slip, it was the only run allowed by Miller in May, and it was unearned. His ERA for the month stayed at 0.00, fueled by 20 strikeouts in 9.2 innings. He allowed only four hits and walked eight.
On the season, Miller has built the kind of resume that turns argument into expectation. He owns a 0.72 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 17 saves.
There was no need for any celebration to distract from the bigger picture inside San Diego, either. On Wednesday, the Padres also announced that they have designated Nick Castellanos for assignment.
The move lands in the middle of a tough season for the Friars, who contain one of the worst offenses in the league this season. The Padres believe Castellanos isn’t going to help them improve, and the urgency is plain: something needs to change quickly or they will fall below .500 quickly.
With Miller stacking month after month of elite relief—something the league hasn’t seen since Díaz’s streak in 2022—the contrast inside the organization is getting sharper by the day: one side of the bullpen is delivering zeroes. while the lineup is still searching for answers before the standings start to tighten.
Mason Miller Padres NL Reliever of the Month May Edwin Díaz Nick Castellanos designated for assignment