Jul 18, 2024 3 min read

Bethel Park native Mason Miller made history when he recorded a 103.6-mph pitch during the MLB All-Star Game played July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

With two out in the fifth inning, Miller threw his first pitch to Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner. Though it missed low for a ball, it was the hardest pitch thrown in the Midsummer Classic since pitch tracking began in 2008. The pitch was one of eight triple-digits fastballs Miller tossed during a perfect 12-pitch inning.

After Miller got Arizona’s Ketel Marte to fly out to left field, he faced Shohei Ohtani. Though the LA Dodgers designated hitter had smacked a three-run homer in his previous at bat, he struck out swinging. Miller fired two strikes of 100.6 and 101.8 mph before getting Ohtani to miss on a low-and-inside slider, clocked at 89.2 mph.

“I wasn’t giving him one up, that’s for sure,” Miller told Ken Rosenthal in an in-game interview broadcast on Fox Sports. “I think I got the second strike, then I got one that might’ve been down a little bit but I got to the back-foot slider.”

Miller then struck out Turner and went on to be the pitcher of record when the American League defeated the National League, 5-3. He is the third rookie pitcher to earn the win in an MLB All-Star Game, joining Spec Shea in 1947 and Dean Stone in 1954. All represented the AL.

“The hitters that we face everyday throughout the year, there are a lot of talented guys, but to do it on the stage in front of this crowd against these talented players is something I’ll have forever,” Miller said. “I think every single hitter over there’s super talented, so whoever you match up against, it’s gonna be a battle. I ended up getting the top of the order and I was excited to get that matchup. It’s what you dream of.”

Since getting his diabetes under control and being drafted by the Oakland A’s, Miller has been having a dream career in the Major Leagues.

Shortly after graduating from Bethel Park High School, his pitching stats tanked while enrolled at Waynesburg University. Once he was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes, he was outfitted with a pump to dispense medicine to control the disease and adjusted his diet. As he regained weight and added strength, he reduced his ERA from seven to two and improved his pitching speed.

After success at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, where he posted an 8-1 record with 121 strikeouts and forged a 3.30 ERA for the Bulldogs, Miller was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the third round of the MLB amateur draft in 2021. He was the 97th pick.

Though he had a successful MLB debut in 2023, he was sidelined by an arm injury. At 25, he roared back this spring to become the league’s top reliever. At the all-star break, he ranked first among MLB relievers in strikeouts, strikeout percentage and 100+ mph pitches. He had 15 saves and was averaging 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 33 appearances.