San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and Toronto Blue Jays closer Louis Varland won the first-ever Baseball Writers Association of America Reliever of the Year awards.
Miller captured all 30 first-place votes to claim the National League honor, cementing a campaign where he pitched to a 1.67 ERA with 129 strikeouts across 70 innings, according to Yahoo Sports. He led all pitchers with a 3.9 WAR, outpacing second-place Louie Varland’s 3.1 WAR.
The San Diego closer converted 38 of 41 save opportunities while posting a 0.900 WHIP over 66 appearances. His 47.4% strikeout rate per batter faced led all qualified relievers by a wide margin, completely outpacing challengers like Mason Montgomery and Andrés Muñoz.
Early in the season, Miller broke Cla Meredith’s franchise-record scoreless innings streak by tossing 34 2/3 consecutive scoreless frames dating back to August 2025, as reported by MLB.com. Jhoan Duran finished second in the voting, collecting 24 second-place votes, while Trevor Megill placed third.
In the American League, Varland secured the inaugural BBWAA award on the strength of a 1.27 ERA that led all qualified relievers. Acquired by the Blue Jays from the Minnesota Twins at the 2025 trade deadline, Varland bounced back from an initial 4.94 post-trade ERA to anchor Toronto’s bullpen.
After a close race, Louis Varland wins the first ever BBWAA AL Reliever of the Year Award 👏 https://t.co/J375pUEHsk pic.twitter.com/uQIr6sTHJm
Varland struck out 87 batters in 78 innings and collected 35 saves, finishing fifth in the category. He also established himself as a premier multi-inning weapon, recording eight saves of at least four outs during the regular season.
The new BBWAA honor stands separate from the Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Awards, which are voted on by a panel of former relievers. BBWAA members cast their ballots before the start of the playoffs, ensuring the voting reflected strictly regular-season performance.
| Reliever | Team | ERA | WAR | Saves | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Miller | Padres | 1.67 | 3.9 | 38 | 129 |
| Louis Varland | Blue Jays | 1.27 | 3.1 | 35 | 87 |
Preller emphasized that the trio worked together down the stretch, allowing manager Craig Stammen to manage late-inning matchups. With Miller locked into the backend of the bullpen and catching depth secure, the Padres enter the winter facing evaluations regarding trade interest in their catchers.
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Presenting the @IBWAA 2026 Reliever of the Year awards. Congrats to Louis Varland and Mason Miller! Do you think our voters got it right? pic.twitter.com/EIUErn4ctm
Louis Varland is the 2026 BBWAA American League Reliever of the Year! pic.twitter.com/D7FfiSJtoh
