Boston Red Sox
Miller once pitched for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape League.
Erik Miller picked up two saves in his last three appearances for the Giants. Dylan Buell
August 5, 2026 | 9:24 AM
2 minutes to read
There’s a new face in the Red Sox’ bullpen.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 269-pound Erik Miller is an intimidating presence on the mound. He was rock-solid for the Giants this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.76 ERA, 10 holds, and four saves.
In his last three outings with the Giants, Miller picked up a pair of saves. He gained the trust of manager Tony Vitello and shot up the reliever ranks, thanks to his consistent play.
Miller, on a one-year, $810,000 contract, has three years of arbitration remaining before hitting the free agent market in 2030.
Here are some things to know about Miller:
He could feature in a high-leverage role.
The addition of a reliever for a once-fabled prospect not only indicates how Marcelo Mayer fell from grace in Boston, but also how much the Red Sox value Miller.
Aroldis Chapman has been lights-out as the closer. The combination of Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten feature heavily in close games, but both are righthanded.
Jovani Morán has received the lion’s share of the high-leverage lefthanded looks, posting a 2.80 ERA in 45 innings this season. Miller and Morán are the lone lefties in the Sox’ bullpen.
Miller incorporates a four-pitch mix, but primarily uses two.
Miller throws his 97-mile-per-hour sinker 45 percent of the time, playing off an 86-m.p.h. (41 percent). He also has a four-seam fastball and a changeup, but those are almost exclusively reserved for righthanded batters.
Miller is a ground-ball pitcher, ranking in the 92nd percentile in inducing grounders, as 53.4 percent of batted balls in play ended up in that category. Miller’s sinker has 3.2 inches of horizontal break and opponents hit just .193 off the pitch. His slider, which features a put-away percentage of 27.3, limits hitters to a .125 average.
He had a UCL sprain in 2025.
The southpaw was on a tear in 2025 — until his elbow flared up. Miller was 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 36 appearances but did not pitch after July 2. He was diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow and was sent to the injured list.
Miller did not undergo surgery. He experienced a setback in August during minor league rehabilitation and was shut down for the rest of the season.
Miller played in the Cape Cod League and New England College Baseball League.
From Wildwood, Mo., Miller attended Stanford. After his freshman season in 2017, Miller played for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. The following year, he pitched for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape League. He returned to pitch for the Cardinal for his junior season before being selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He signed with Philadelphia for $428,300.
He has only pitched for the Giants in the big leagues.
Miller scaled the Phillies’ minor league ranks, reaching Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2023. He was dealt to San Francisco that season for Yunior Marte. Miller made the Giants’ Opening Day roster in 2024 and made 73 appearances as a rookie.
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