San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller can’t really articulate what it’s like to throw 104.5 mph. It’s become routine for him at this point to test the limits of how hard pitchers can throw.
“You have to have confidence in [the pitch],” Miller said after the Padres’ 3-0 win over the Cubs in Game 2. “I mean, that’s my fastball. It’s my normal.”
Miller entered the game in the seventh inning with a 3-0 lead and made his impact felt. He struck out Seiya Suzuki for the first out, finishing him off with a 102.7 mph fastball. Miller then mowed through Carson Kelly, unleashing a 104.5 mph fastball right on the edge of the strike zone to get Kelly out on strikes. Miller finished the at-bat by getting Pete Crow-Armstrong out on strikes.
That pitch was the fastest thrown in the postseason since pitch tracking began in 2008, passing Aroldis Chapman’s 104.2 mph set during Game 3 of the 2010 National League Division Series.
104 MPH 🔥
Mason Miller is bringing the heat pitching on back-to-back days! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/S6TyC8G3iB
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
He finished with five strikeouts in 1⅔ innings. He’s also the first player to strike out the first eight batters he’s faced in his postseason career. When Miller takes the mound, the Padres gain confidence.
“[His 104.5 mph fastball] is pretty impossible to hit in some places,” center fielder Jackson Merrill said.
“You have all the confidence in the world when you see that from this side,” right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. said.
The Padres acquired Miller from the A’s at the deadline for postseason moments like Wednesday, when he completely shuts down an opposing team’s lineup. The bullpen as a whole was stellar, limiting the Cubs to one hit and issuing out zero walks.
“One of the separators for our group is the ability to trust their stuff and be aggressive,” manager Mike Shildt said. “All these guys are really special with their arm talent, [Adrian Morejon], Miller, [Robert Suarez]. They’re pitching, and they’re not going to make a situation bigger than it is.”
But Miller isn’t getting caught up in his individual accomplishments; he just wants one more win to continue his his first taste of the postseason.
“It’s just about doing our part to help the team win and give ourselves a chance tomorrow,” Miller said. “We’re gonna come back and do our best to win the game.”
