Mason Miller has actually broken advanced stats with his dominance

Despite all of the controversy surrounding the Oakland Athletics at the moment, the team may in fact have a bright spot.

The bright spot in question is closer Mason Miller, who has burst onto the scene and become one of the game's most elite closers. He made his debut last season and has continued this season, starting off 2024 with an impressive run.

In 13 games, Miller owns a 1.10 ERA and has recorded eight saves. However, there are other numbers that show just how dominant he has been.

These days, a lot of stock is put into FIP, otherwise known as Fielding Independent Pitching. Like ERA, the lower the number, the better, and Miller actually has a negative FIP at the moment.

Mason Miller breaking modern stats with early-season dominance

Miller has simply been outstanding to start the 2024 season. But his negative FIP is probably most impressive stat.

A FIP that low suggests that Miller can pitch quite well without much assistance from his fielders and simply attack hitters. He has recorded 33 strikeouts thus far and currently is averaging 18.2 punchouts per nine innings.

Swing-and-miss stuff is valued tremendously in today's game, and Miller certainly can miss bats. This is a good sign for the A's as they look towards the future and assess the talent they have in their system.

The 25-year-old has a strong chance of being an All-Star this season if he continues at this pace. But even the advanced stats are showing just how dominant he can be when he pitches.

The young right-hander was selected in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Gardner-Webb University and made his debut in April of last season. He put up solid numbers in 2023, posting an ERA of 3.78 and averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. But his 2024 stats are quite eye-popping.

His negative FIP is almost unheard of. The right-hander has certainly been a bright spot for a team that currently has a complicated future, and his hot start has helped the A's perform better than expected to start the season.

The A's clearly have something special in Miller, and it'll be interesting to see if he can keep this up. Maybe sooner or later, he'll get the closer's entrance he deserves.