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With the new San Diego Padres closer in Mason Miller already making an impact for the team, he is getting an immense amount of attention around the majors and also in the team's history. When the Padres traded for Miller from the Athletics, there is no doubt that fans thought the team got a talented pitcher, but there is a former player who has given their true thoughts about the star.
Former closer for San Diego in Heath Bell, from 2007 to 2011, would speak to Kyle Glaser on his show to speak about the talent of Miller, where the productive pitcher for his time touted how he throws the ball. He would go as far as to say how he likes Miller's “style” and how he originally believed he was daring the batter to hit his pitches.
“So, and I like his style, how he really is, like, he's out there pitching, but it almost looks like he's just like, ‘I'm just gonna throw it and see if you can hit me.' But really, I think a pitcher knows a pitcher, and he looks like he's out there pitching,” Bell said. “And I beforehand, I thought, ‘Okay, throws 104 miles an hour, probably a big thrower.' So what really stands out for me is it looks like he's out there pitching, trying to hit his spots.”
“And it doesn't matter,” Bell continued. “I think if you pitch up in the zone, as long as you pitch, you know, strikes and right out of their bat level, you can pitch up there, you can pitch down, you know, left, right, in and out. So I feel like he's pitching more than I gave him credit for when I saw him for Oakland with some highlights.”
What does @HeathBell21 like most about Mason Miller?
Hear him break it down as he dives into what separates Miller from others who have had elite velocity.
FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/Riv8m3YrMH pic.twitter.com/oJqxtBvdVx
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) August 8, 2025
Heath Bell speaks more on the talent of Padres' Mason Miller
As the Padres made their mark at the trade deadline with the Miller acquisition, they are getting a 26-year-old who is on the path to be one of the best closers for the foreseeable future. Bell would speak further on how Miller differentiates himself from other pitchers in the league, where, besides his throwing talent, he is “trying to hit spots.”
“They throw really hard. And there's also some guys that just throw really, like nasty sliders, but they're just throwers,” Miller said. “They're not trying to hit spots. They're just like ‘My slider, my splitter is just so nasty. I'm just throwing it. Fastball is good. I'm just throwing it.' No, this guy's trying to hit spots.”
At any rate, Miller will continue to show San Diego why they traded for him as they start a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
