Bethel Park native Mason Miller made history on July 16 when he threw a 103.6 mph pitch at the MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Miller threw his first pitch to Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner. It was low and wide for a ball, but it was the fastest pitch thrown in the Midsummer Classic since pitch tracking began in 2008. It was one of eight pitches thrown by Miller in his 12-pitch perfect inning.
After getting Arizona’s Ketel Marte to fly out to left field, Miller faced Shohei Ohtani. The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter had hit a three-run homer in his previous at-bat but struck out swinging. Miller threw two strikes, at 100.6 and 101.8 mph, then got Ohtani to swing and miss with an 89.2 mph inside slider.
“I definitely didn’t give him an out,” Miller told Ken Rosenthal during a post-game interview broadcast by Fox Sports. “I think I got two strikes. Then I hit a ball that maybe went down a little bit, but it hit me on a backfoot slider.”
Miller then struck out Turner, becoming the record pitcher in the American League’s 5–3 victory over the National League. He was just the third rookie pitcher to win an MLB All-Star Game, joining Spec Shea in 1947 and Dean Stone in 1954, all of whom represented the American League.
“There are a lot of talented hitters that I face every day throughout the year, but to be up there on stage in front of this crowd and face all these talented players is something I’ll never forget,” Miller said. “I think all the hitters up there are very talented, so it’s going to be a tough battle no matter who I’m facing. I ended up at the top of the batting order and I was excited to get that matchup. It’s a dream matchup.”
Since getting his diabetes under control and being drafted by the Oakland Athletics, Miller has enjoyed a dream career in major league baseball.
Shortly after graduating from Bethel Park High School, his pitching performance plummeted while attending Waynesburg University. After being diagnosed with Type 1 childhood diabetes, he was fitted with a pump to deliver medication to control the disease and adjusted his diet. As he gained weight back and got stronger, his ERA dropped from 7 to 2 and his velocity improved.
After a successful career with the Bulldogs at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina where he compiled an 8-1 record with 121 strikeouts and a 3.30 ERA, Miller was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the third round of the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft. He was the 97th overall pick.
He was set to make his major league debut in 2023, but an arm injury sidelined him. This spring, at age 25, he bounced back in style and became one of the league’s top relief pitchers. At the All-Star break, he was first among MLB relief pitchers in strikeouts, strikeout rate and pitches thrown over 100 mph. He recorded 15 saves and averaged 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 33 games.
