World Series 2016: Six players who could be MVP

Andrew Miller

What Miller is doing in this postseason is truly special. In an era of three-out only closers and specialists, Miller is throwing it back to the 70s and 80ss where relievers routinely threw more than two innings. In seven games in the playoffs, Miller has already thrown 11.2 innings, and has struck out 21. He struck out 14 of the 25 Blue Jays he faced in the ALCS.

Miller is the ultimate weapon for Terry Francona in the bullpen because he is not limited to just the ninth inning. The left-hander’s presence, and the ability to pitch the fifth, sixth or seventh innings, has allowed the Indians to get by in the postseason with unheralded pitchers like Josh Tomlin, Trevor Bauer and Ryan Merritt making the majority of the starts.

If the Indians manage to win this series, Miller will likely pitch in three or four of the wins. He has yet to allow a run in 20 career postseason innings, and that scoreless streak has not appeared to be in jeopardy at any time during the past few weeks. Miller is managing to do things that even the greatest postseason reliever of this generation, Mariano Rivera, never came close to doing.

The Indians will have to find a way to win the series to maximize and fully showcase Miller’s value for the voters, but if they do, look for him to become the first reliever to win World Series MVP since Rivera in 1999.