The Brewers know exactly what they’re up against in this NLDS, and they’re not pretending otherwise. When San Diego hands the ball to Mason Miller, Milwaukee is looking at one of the most overpowering relief arms in baseball, a pitcher who can turn a late inning into a dead end in a hurry.
Brice Turang put it plainly when asked about the challenge ahead.
"I would say, it's like a heavy fastball. That's how I would look at it. It's heavy and it's coming at you at 104, 103 [mph]," Turang said.
"There's some guys who throw 100 and it doesn't always feel like 100 and there's some guys who throw 100 and it feels like 100. It's proven over his career."
Jake Bauers had his own read on Miller, and it started with the physical presence.
"He's a big-ass dude, too. So that doesn't help your cause," Bauers joked.
"But, no, obviously he's the best in the game. I think the mentality is try to have a good at-bat.
Whatever happens after that is whatever happens."
That kind of respect is earned. Miller’s fastball sits at 101 mph, and his 88 mph slider gives hitters a second problem to solve - one that has produced a whiff rate of over 56%.
The numbers from the 2026 season back up the reputation. In 66 appearances, Miller put together a 1.67 ERA with 129 strikeouts, a 0.90 WHIP and 38 saves in 41 chances over 70 innings.
He also made postseason history in the wild-card series, striking out his 10th career playoff batter while facing only his 12th. That is the fewest batters faced to reach 10 postseason strikeouts in MLB history.
For San Diego, that’s the kind of weapon that changes how a game feels if it gets to the ninth. If the Padres are carrying a lead into the final inning, they know they can turn to baseball’s best closer and like their chances.
For Milwaukee, the simplest answer is the best one: keep Miller in the dugout, just like the Brewers did in Game 1.
In Other News...
Padres Have Every Right To Be Furious About This Game 1 Twist
A strange break in Game 1 of the NLDS put the Padres in an early hole before the baseball really had a chance to breathe. Ty France sent a ball skyward at American Family Field, it struck a cable supporting the roof, and Jackson Chourio came down with it for an out. It was the kind of play that makes everyone in the ballpark stop and check the rule book, even if the answer winds up being more mundane than the reaction.
Under the parks ground rules, the ball stays live if it hits the cable above fair territory, so the ruling was correct. Still, the setting only added to the frustration for San Diego, with MLB controlling whether the roof is opened or closed in the postseason and the roof closed for this game. For a team trying to seize an early edge in October, it was the sort of twist that leaves plenty of room for argument, even if not much room for protest. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Open NLDS With Brutal Ending Fans Wont Stop Debating
The Padres NLDS opener in Milwaukee came down to one of those October moments that can linger long after the final pitch. San Diego dropped Game 1, 3-2, but the conversation afterward centered on Ty Frances drive in the top of the ninth, a ball that looked for a moment like it might flip the game and the series with one swing.
Instead, it hit the closed roof at American Family Field and was caught by Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio for an out, a ruling the Padres challenged before it was upheld under the stadiums ground rules. Milwaukee then finished off the final out, leaving San Diego to regroup and leaving fans to keep arguing about a play that felt one step away from changing everything. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Got A Massive Playoff Break Thanks To One Bizarre Bounce
A strange break in Milwaukee helped turn one of Game 1s biggest swings into a routine out, and the Padres were left to shake their heads. Ty France sent a deep fly toward the roof at American Family Field, where the ball took an odd bounce and was ultimately caught by Jackson Chourio, erasing what looked like a possible go-ahead homer for San Diego.
Craig Stammen challenged the call, but the umpires let it stand under the parks ground rule, which treated the ball as fair after it hit the roof. It was the kind of play that can feel unique to one stadium, one postseason game, and one unlucky sequence, especially since the balls path probably would have played differently in most major league parks. [Read more 🡒]