Mason Miller isn't just closing games for the San Diego Padres; he's authoring one of the most dominant stretches by a reliever in recent memory. With a fastball that touches 103 mph and a wipeout slider, he's been virtually untouchable, striking out 19 of the 24 batters he's faced this season. This level of sheer dominance naturally sparks a tantalizing question: could a closer actually win the Cy Young Award in 2025?

It's a monumental challenge, with history firmly stacked against him. The last reliever to claim the honor was Eric Gagné back in 2003, a testament to how voters traditionally prioritize the heavy innings load of elite starters. For Miller to break that two-decade drought, he wouldn't just need to be great—he'd need to be historically, consistently sublime from now through October.

Analysts are already drawing comparisons to legendary closers like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, and his early-season numbers support the hype. With a microscopic ERA and a seemingly impossible negative FIP, he's forcing his name into a National League conversation crowded with aces like Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The path is narrow, but the sheer spectacle of Miller's outings makes it a conversation worth having. Every time he takes the mound, he's not just protecting a lead; he's making a case for a piece of rare baseball history. For fans of pitching dominance and high-stakes drama, watching Miller's season unfold is must-see TV.