A's closer Mason Miller named AL Reliever of the Month

MLB.com has announced that Oakland A's closer Mason Miller has won the American League Reliever of the Month award. It's a well deserved recognition for Miller, who currently has a 1.26 ERA and 8 saves in his first 12 appearances.

According to the MLB press release, Miller is the first Athletics' player to earn a player of the month award since Zack Gelof won one back in August of 2023, and the first Athletics reliever to win one since 2021.

Miller currently leads MLB in pitches thrown over 100 mph with 97, and it's extremely unlikely that anyone challenges him for that mark this year. He's touched 104 on the radar gun and the velocity is a big reason why he's been so successful on the mound in 2024.

The young righty has been the standout of the A's bullpen but he hasn't been the only good pitcher so far. Lucas Erceg has been outstanding to start the year, and Kyle Muller looks like he's finally figured out how to pitch in the majors.

Rule 5 pick Mitch Spence has quietly been an asset for the A's in the middle innings, and Austin Adams has a 1.86 ERA in 14 appearances. Nobody in the A's bullpen has an ERA over 4.00 and the pen is one of the biggest factors in the A's overall success this year.

The Athletics are coming off a three-game sweep of the Pirates and get to face the struggling Marlins for a three-game set this weekend. The A's will enter the matchup at 15-17 with a chance to get back to .500 for the first time all year.

The last time the A's were over .500 was back on March 30, 2023 after they beat the Angels in the first game of the year. They dropped the next game to fall to .500 and never got back to even ground.

If the A's want to get back to .500, they'll need to bullpen to stay on their current hot streak. If they can keep the Marlins' offense in check over the weekend, they'll have a great chance to earn another series victory and inch closer to a winning record.