The Dominance Of This Oakland Athletics Flamethrower

Miller’s outing generated headlines for more reasons than that one hard pitch. Miller tossed nine fastballs out of his 16 total pitches, all of which were 101 mph or harder. He even threw six of these electric fastballs in a row.

Miller turned heads by reaching 103 mph in his final two fastballs of the night. Both pitches registered as the hardest pitch thrown in the majors in 2024. While 103 is undoubtedly eye-popping, it doesn’t come close to Aroldis Chapman’s record-breaking 105.8 mph in 2010.

According to Statcast, Miller has thrown 70 fastballs this season, 65 percent of which have reached at least 100 mph. Additionally, Miller leads the league with 46 pitches at triple digits, 22 pitches more than the guy in second place.

Miller’s A Pitcher, Not Just A Thrower

What’s even more encouraging is that Miller is using more than his fastball velocity to succeed. In five games, Miller has thrown seven innings with 12 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA. Walks have been an issue in the past for him, but his three this year is more than manageable.

He even grades out favorably in the most advanced metrics. According to Statcast, Miller is the hardest thrower in the league and is among the leaders in Whiff, Chase, and Hard-Hit percentages.

While his fastball velocity will receive most of the headlines, Miller features a great slider in his repertoire. He throws it just under 43 percent of the time, and it currently has a Run-Value of 3. The slider has performed better than his fastball at putting hitters away, getting swings and misses, and generating strikeouts.

A Needed Positive Development For The Athletics

The Oakland Athletics have become synonymous with losing, dysfunction, and embarrassment. It seems that ownership encouraged, if not directed, an exodus of high-quality veteran talent for cheap youngsters in the disguise of a rebuild.

While controversies surrounding the organization don’t seem to end anytime soon, it’s encouraging that young players like Miller are starting to establish themselves. Miller and the team still expect him to return to the starting rotation after this year. But for now, getting him through the year healthy seems like the main priority. And if Miller becomes the best reliever in the game, they’ll take it.