MLB power rankings: Untouchable Mason Miller powers Padres toward the top

Yahoo Sports2h ago13 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Mason Miller's scoreless streak reaches 32 ⅔ innings, just shy of the Padres' franchise record. The San Diego Padres have won 13 of their last 15 games, moving to No. 2 in power rankings.

Key points

Mason Miller has a scoreless streak of 32 ⅔ innings.
The Padres have won 13 of their last 15 games.
Miller's strikeout rate is 71.1%, the highest for a pitcher in first 11 appearances since 1900.
The Padres are ranked No. 2 in power rankings.
Miller aims to preserve his streak during upcoming games at Coors Field and in Phoenix.

Mason MillerSan Diego PadresLos Angeles DodgersFernando Tatis Jr.

Mason Miller has been untouchable all season. And so have the San Diego Padres lately.

Miller's scoreless streak is now at 32 ⅔ innings, just one shy of the Padres' franchise record. And perhaps most impressively, the best closer in the game has struck out 27 of 38 batters faced this season, his 71.1% strikeout rate the highest by a pitcher in his first 11 appearances since 1900.

But it takes a good team to give a closer a chance to shine and the Padres are just about baseball's best right now. They've won 13 of 15 to close within a half-game of the Los Angeles Dodgers - and zoom seven spots to No. 2 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

At 15-7, the Padres have baseball's second-best record, thanks in large part to their closer with the wipeout fastball-slider combo that's proven untouchable. Or, as Fernando Tatis Jr. put it, "Game over."

Miller's next task? Preserving his scoreless streak through mile-high Coors Field and Phoenix this week.

A look at our updated rankings: