OAKLAND, Calif. – Former Gardner-Webb ace
Mason Miller will head to the big leagues, joining the A's for their Wednesday game against the Cubs according to multiple reports.
Miller (Bethel Park, Pa.) pitched in just two minor league games this spring – one for AA Midland and one for AAA Las Vegas – before getting his shot at The Show.
The San Francisco Chronicle, MLB.com and The Athletic each reported the move on Tuesday. The A's host Chicago on Wednesday afternoon at 3:37 pm (ET) in the Oakland Coliseum.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound righty went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 19 strikeouts in just 8.2 innings pitched this season in the minors and posted 53 strikeouts over 28.2 professional innings since being drafted with the 97th overall pick (third round) of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Miller has not walked a batter this season in his two starts.
He will be the third Gardner-Webb product to make an appearance in a Major League game, joining Blake Lalli (2012 debut, Chicago Cubs) and Jeremy Walker (2019 debut, Atlanta Braves) in that elite group.
Miller earned viral praise on social media after his lone start in Las Vegas, tossing 5.0 near perfect innings with 11 strikeouts against a strong Salt Lake Bees batting order. The only runner to reach in that game did so after a dropped third strike.
He threw 23 pitches of 100 mph or harder in that game. According to Baseball America, only one MLB starter has thrown more than 20 pitches at 100 mph or harder in a start this season (Hunter Greene) and only four pitchers have done so in a game over the past five seasons in the major leagues – with Jacob deGrom among that group.
Baseball America put Miller in the top spot of its weekly Hot Sheet report as a result of his performance against Salt Lake and MLBPipeline.com rated Miller as the No. 3 overall prospect – and top pitching prospect – in the A's system heading into the 2023 season.
Miller pitched one season at Gardner-Webb, earning first-team All-Big South Conference honors in 2021 after going 8-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 92.2 innings pitched. He led the Big South and ranked No. 21 nationally with his strikeout total – which ranked second in program history for a single season.
Miller's fastball – which has topped out at 102 mph – rates as a 70 on the MLB 20-80 scouting scale. He also throws a slider, a devastating cutter and a changeup.
