From Near-Death to Throwing 100+ MPH in The Big Leagues

Good morning! Some news: I’m looking for a new sports writer. If you’re interested, reply to this email with a link to a recent article you’ve written and a bit about yourself.

Now let’s get to it. Here's what's coming:

• From near-death to throwing 100+ MPH in MLB

• The breakout star you’ve probably never heard of

• How an engineering grad became a superstar in a sport he didn’t know existed

Let’s dive in, shall we?

On this day in 1954, baseball legend Ted Williams returned from a broken collarbone and recorded how many hits?

• A) 3

• B) 5

• C) 7

• D) 8

The answer is at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.

From Near-Death to Throwing 100+ MPH in The Big Leagues

"He should be in a coma — or dead." Instead, he's firing 100-mile-per-hour fastballs past MLB hitters.

Growing up, Mason Miller dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player.

But he didn’t see success at the Varsity level until his junior year of high school. And even then, he wasn’t the best player on his team.

By that point, reality started to sink in.

“I had dreams to compete at the highest collegiate level during high school, but quickly realized my talents then lined up better with D3.”

One summer, while competing in a summer ball game, Miller caught the eye of Michael Humiston, head coach of Division III Waynesburg University.

As a small, private college with less than 2,000 students, it wasn't exactly a hub for professional scouts.

And Miller's early struggles didn't help his case.

Through his first two collegiate seasons, Miller allowed 51 earned runs in 64 2⁄3 innings.

He was throwing in the low-80s and struggled to locate his pitches. The window for his big league dream was closing fast.

But what happened next changed the course of his life – and baseball career – forever.

After his sophomore year – like most college students – Mason Miller was preparing for a summer internship. The only thing that stood in the way was a simple drug test.

But Miller's test revealed troubling results.

His blood sugar levels were off the charts. Normal levels fall between 80 and 120 mg/dL, and his sat around 700 mg/dL.

When Coach Humiston heard the news, he didn't know what to make of it.

“I don't know anything about [blood sugar levels], so I asked my wife, who worked for some doctors here in town,” Humiston said.

“I covered the phone and said, ‘Hey, 700 sugar level, is that bad?’ And she goes, ‘Oh, my gosh, who's got that?’ And I said, ‘Mason.’ She goes, ‘Oh my gosh, Mike, that's awful. He should be in a coma — or dead.’”

Despite a strict training regimen, Miller had lost 20 pounds over the course of his sophomore year. At the time of the drug test, he weighed just 155 pounds and barely filled his 6'5" frame.

The diagnosis came back as Type 1 diabetes.

But rather than viewing this as a debilitating problem, Miller saw it as a chance to transform his baseball career.

“[Diabetes] was an adjustment for some of the things I need to do day-to-day to take care of myself, but athletically, it gave me the boost I needed to propel me to this point.”

Combining his treatment with a high-protein diet and intense workout routine, Miller packed on an astonishing 50 pounds ahead of his junior year.

The added size and strength translated to the mound, where his velocity climbed into the low 90s.

The results changed, too.

As a junior, he posted a 1.86 ERA and struck out 97 batters in 67 2⁄3 innings. He was named first-team All-Conference and pro scouts began taking notice.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed everything. College athletics stopped, and his senior season was cut short.

Miller was a pro prospect, projected to be drafted between the 5th and 7th rounds of the draft. But there was just one problem:

The 2020 MLB Draft was shortened from 40 to just 5 rounds.

“I thought my career was over at that point," Miller said.

Luckily, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. After speaking with his coaches at Waynesburg, he decided to enter the transfer portal.

“We told him, ‘You coming back here, there’s obviously nothing left to prove,’” then-assistant coach Perry Cunningham said.

With his fastball now reaching the upper-90s, there were plenty of Division I programs interested.

After narrowing down his list, Miller ultimately chose Gardner-Webb University, where he slotted in as the Friday night starter for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

Making the leap from D3 to D1 is no easy task. But Mason Miller had no issues adjusting.

In his first start, he struck out 11 batters over six innings. Two starts later, he K'd 13 over seven frames.

Scouts began to flock to his games as the hype grew. He finished the year with a 3.30 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 92 2⁄3 innings.

Then, on July 12th, 2021, his dreams came true.

The Oakland A’s selected Mason Miller with the 97th overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Since that moment, he was on the fast track to the big leagues.

The flame-throwing righty ascended every rank of the minor leagues in 2022. But his minor league career totaled just 28 2⁄3 innings.

Over that time, Miller's velocity ballooned to over 100 MPH. He added more size and refined his arsenal of pitches.

Then, on April 19th, 2023, he made his MLB debut – striking out five and touching 100 MPH 15 times. Two starts later, he fired seven no-hit innings against the Seattle Mariners.

It's been quite the journey for Mason Miller – from struggling in Division III to dominating Major League Baseball.

His approach to the game lies at the heart of his success.

"Guys are bigger, faster, stronger up here. Everybody is really good," Miller said.

"It takes work to get them out, but at the same time, baseball is still baseball at any level. The bases are still 90 feet apart and the field is the same. Some things don’t change."

@espnnhl

Isaiah Márquez-Greene was just eight when he survived the Sandy Hook school shooting that took his sister Ana Grace’s life. Now, the New Y... See more

Best of luck in law school, Isaiah!

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⚾️ "I was living with my parents and working a 5-to-3 job." St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar reveals the inspiring story behind his underdog mentality. [The Players’ Tribune]

🇺🇸 This Texas engineering grad became an unlikely superstar in “the roughest sport in the world” that he didn’t even know existed. [60 Minutes on YouTube]

🍟 He worked at McDonald’s to keep his dream alive. Now he’s in his 10th MLB season. This is how David Peralta made it happen. [Los Angeles Dodgers on YouTube]

⛰️ After being told he’d never walk again, this former pro rugby player climbed the tallest mountain in Wales one year later. [The Guardian]

🔥 Eleven years into his pro baseball career, Jonah Heim is breaking out. Here’s how he quietly became one of the best catchers in baseball. [FOX Sports]

From subscriber Jim S. –

“Tony Gwynn could have gone 0-for-1199 at the end of his career and still retired as a lifetime .300 hitter.

Think about that.”

I don’t think young baseball fans appreciate just how good Tony Gwynn was. Here’s a quick highlight reel.

⭐ Trivia Answer:

D) 8 hits – It was a doubleheader! Williams got three hits in Game One and went 5 for 5 in the nightcap. Truly remarkable, given the nature of the injury.

Wanna submit a trivia question or fun fact for the next edition? Reply to this email.

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Til next time,
Tyler

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