San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and Toronto Blue Jays closer Louis Varland have won the inaugural Baseball Writers Association of America Reliever of the Year awards. Miller took the National League honor, while Varland received the American League award. The new recognition joins the BBWAA's annual awards for rookies, managers, Cy Young winners and most valuable players.
BBWAA members vote on the award, with two representatives from each MLB city in each league. Ballots were submitted before the playoffs began, so postseason performances did not count. The honor is separate from the Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman awards, which recognize the top American League and National League relievers, respectively. Those awards replaced the Delivery Man of the Year Award in 2015 and are decided by former relievers, including Rivera and Hoffman.
Miller finished the regular season with a 1.67 ERA, striking out 129 batters over 70 innings. He also recorded 3.9 WAR and led the National League with 38 saves and 57 games finished. Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Megill and Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran were the other contenders he defeated for the award.
The Padres closer separated himself from other qualified relievers by striking out 47.4 percent of the batters he faced. Mason Montgomery was next at 37.7 percent, followed by Andrés Muñoz at 37.1 percent, Cade Smith at 36.3 percent and Duran at 35.6 percent. The season was Miller's first full campaign with San Diego, which acquired him from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline in a six-player deal that included shortstop prospect Leo De Vries.
Across parts of two seasons with the Padres, Miller has compiled a 1.45 ERA. This is his first major award. He placed fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2024 and earned All-Star selections in 2024 and 2026, but had received no Cy Young or MVP votes before this season.
Varland led qualified relievers with a 1.27 ERA, and his 3.1 WAR ranked first in the American League. He struck out 87 batters in 78 innings and finished fifth with 35 saves. He won the award ahead of Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith and Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker.
Extended appearances were another feature of Varland's season. He recorded eight saves requiring at least four outs, second only to Jacob Latz's 13. Smith had seven, David Bednar six and Miller five. That workload followed Varland's frequent use during Toronto's 2025 postseason run.
Toronto acquired Varland from his hometown Minnesota Twins at the 2025 trade deadline. He initially posted a 4.94 ERA with the Blue Jays before improving in the postseason and carrying that progress into 2026. This season brought his first All-Star selection and the first award votes of his career.
