Credit to Ben Rikard | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Texas A&M product Bryce Miller became the first Seattle Mariner to strike out 10 or more hitters in an MLB debut in Tuesday’s 2-1 win against the Oakland Athletics.
Despite being left with no decision in the start on the mound, Miller was stellar in the performance at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. He worked 6.0 innings, yielding just one run on two hits and no walks while striking out 10. He was the 30th player in MLB to hit double digits in the strikeout column in a debut effort.
The product of New Braunfels, Texas, is the first to accomplish the feat since the Cleveland Indians’ Tristan McKenzie fanned 10 in his 2020 debut. Miller retired the first 16 batters he faced before yielding a flare single to Tony Kemp. He left the game trailing 1-0, but the Mariners stormed back with two in the top of the eighth to take the lead.
A fourth-round selection by the Mariners in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Miller became the 60th Aggie to make the Major Leagues. He had a meteoric rise through the minor leagues needing just 36 appearances, including 33 starts to make the majors. Last season he was a combined 7-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 133.2 innings with stints with the Modesto Nuts (Single A), Everett Aqua Sox (High A) and Arkansas Travelers (Double A).
The Mariners snatched up Miller with the 113th overall pick. At Texas A&M in 2021, Miller worked 13 games, including 10 starts. He registered a 3-2 record with a 4.45 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 56.2 innings, holding opponents to a .227 batting average.
In his three seasons with the Aggies, Miller posted an 8-6 record with four saves, a 4.07 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 110.2 innings. He was called on out of the bullpen in 33 games in 2019, posting a 4-2 record with one save, a 3.77 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 43.0 innings. He logged one win and three saves with a 3.27 ERA in eight outings as Texas A&M’s closer before the 2020 campaign was shut down.
Miller is the first Aggie to make their MLB debut this season. Texas A&M has had five players see MLB action in 2023, including A.J. Minter (Atlanta Braves), Brooks Raley (New York Mets), Ross Stripling (San Francisco Giants) and Michael Wacha (San Diego Padres). Miller is the 20th Aggie to make their MLB debut since 2000.