Andrew Mark Miller (born May 21, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a starting pitcher who struggled early in his MLB career, Miller found sustained success as a reliever utilizing a multi-faceted fastball and slider approach that proved deceptive for batters to hit. A left-handed batter and thrower, Miller stands tall and weighs . Internationally, Miller represented the United States. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he helped win Team USA's first gold medal in a WBC tournament.
Instrumental in the Indians' World Series run in 2016, Miller earned the American League (AL) Championship series Most Valuable Player (ALCS MVP) honors, while setting a number of postseason strikeout records for relievers and covering multiple relief roles and innings. He is also a two-time MLB All-Star selection, and a winner of the AL Reliever of the Year Award. In 2017, he earned his first major championship in the World Baseball Classic as a member of the United States national team. His collegiate baseball awards include the Baseball America College Player of the Year and Roger Clemens Awards.
A native of Gainesville, Florida, Miller attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, playing for the UNC Tar Heels. The Detroit Tigers selected him sixth overall in the 2006 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut that same season after three minor league appearances. After commencing his career in MLB with a 5.70 earned run average (ERA) over 66 starts with Detroit and Florida, he converted to full-time relief in 2012 with Boston, and remained in middle relief, setup and closer roles. The Red Sox traded Miller to the Orioles in 2014, and Miller signed as a free agent with the Yankees after the season. The Yankees traded Miller to the Indians during the 2016 season, and in 2019 he signed with the Cardinals. He pitched in the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons, with Baltimore, the New York Yankees, Cleveland and St. Louis.
Early life Andrew Mark Miller was born to David Miller, an accountant and real estate developer, and Kim Miller, a pediatric nurse practitioner, in Gainesville, Florida. His uncle, Dan Miller, is a former NFL and USFL placekicker who played college football at the University of Miami.
Miller pitched for, and graduated from, Buchholz High School in Gainesville. As a junior, he was a choice for third-team all-state. For his senior year, he was the Florida baseball Gatorade Player of the Year, a selection for both pre-season and post-season All-America honors and first-team all-state.
Amateur career
University of North Carolina After graduating from Buchholz, Miller attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and majored in Business Administration. He pitched for the Tar Heels baseball team, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
2004–2005 As a freshman in 2004, Miller made his college debut as a starting pitcher versus Gardner–Webb on February 25, recording six shutout innings pitched. He struggled with control early but was selected for the weekend rotation in the California series on March 14. On May 16, he struck out a season-best 11 batters while allowing three hits in eight shutout innings against then No. 2 Miami. His first career complete game was on May 28 against Duke in the ACC tournament, in which he gave up two runs and struck out seven.
In 15 starts and three relief appearances in 2004, Miller finished with a 6–3 win–loss record (W−L), 2.93 earned run average (ERA), 88 strikeouts in 89 innings, and a .202 batting average against (BAA). He led the ACC in batting average against, and was third in the conference in ERA and fifth with 8.90 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (K/9). He led Tar Heel starters in ERA and led the club in strikeouts. He was named second-team All-ACC honors and to the Baseball America'''s All-Freshman second team.
Miller won his first seven decisions of 2005 while giving up three earned runs in his first seven starts. In his first three starts, all victories over Appalachian State, UNC Wilmington and Birmingham–Southern, he allowed only one earned run. He was selected as ACC Pitcher of the Week on February 28 and March 21. Miller struck out a career-high 12 batters in a no-decision against Arizona State on March 4. On two occasions, he carried no-hitters into the sixth inning, once each against Birmingham–Southern and Clemson. He tied an NCAA division I record by hitting seven batters against Virginia on April 1. Miller pitched in tournament losses both to Wake Forest at the ACC tournament and to Florida in the NCAA Regional in his hometown of Gainesville.
In 16 starts, Miller totaled innings and posted an 8–4 record, 2.98 ERA, 104 strikeouts, .230 BAA, 9.68 K/9, 52 bases on balls and 19 hit batters. The strikeout total ranked as the seventh-highest in Tar Heel history and the most since 1995. He led the ACC in strikeouts per nine innings, was sixth in BAA and seventh in ERA. For the second consecutive season, Miller earned second-team All-ACC honors.
2006 As the Tar Heels' third starter on February 19, 2006, against Seton Hall, Miller logged six shutout innings with nine strikeouts, including reaching 200 for his career. He reached double-figure strikeouts totals in wins over George Washington on February 26 (11 strikeouts) and Purdue on March 5 (10 strikeouts). He struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven shutout innings versus the then No. 4 Georgia Tech on March 24, and earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors for that week ending March 27. On March 31, he held No. 1 Florida State scoreless on four hits over seven innings, striking out nine. He was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive week on April 3.
In his win over Boston College on May 18, Miller gave up two hits over eight innings to become Carolina's first 11-game winner since 1995. He also struck out 11 Eagle batters to set the school career strikeout record and earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors on May 22 for the third time of the season. In six regular starts against nationally ranked opponents, he was 5–1 with a 1.27 ERA. Miller was credited with an 8–1 W–L and 1.94 ERA in ACC regular season competition.
Appearing in his first College World Series tournament, Miller made his first tournament start against No. 2 Cal State Fullerton and struck out nine in innings in a no-decision. His first career save was in the Tar Heels' second victory over the Titans. Miller achieved his first career postseason win after allowing four runs with six strikeouts in eight innings versus Winthrop on June 3. In the Tuscaloosa Super Regional victory on June 9 over No. 4 Alabama, he struck out 11, walked one, and allowed five hits and two unearned runs over seven innings.
The Tar Heels were runners-up to Oregon State for the three-game College World Series championship. Miller started Game 1, and allowed three runs and struck out five in five innings. In the final game of the three-game series, Miller relieved future Boston Red Sox teammate Daniel Bard with three runners on base, including the go-ahead and series-deciding run in Bill Rowe on third base. Miller induced the first batter he faced, pinch hitter Ryan Gipson, to hit a ground ball. Second baseman Bryan Steed fielded and threw wide of first baseman Tim Federowicz, allowing Rowe to score and giving Oregon State the title.
In his junior year in 2006, Miller allowed 12 extra base hits, while producing a 13−2 W−L with a 2.48 ERA, 133 strikeouts and a .222 BAA in innings. He became the first Tar Heel to win 13 games since 1978. In five games, he struck out at least 10 batters.
A number of awards followed Miller's accomplishments in 2006, including Baseball America's College Player of the Year and the Roger Clemens Award winner as the nation's top collegiate pitcher. The ACC selected him as conference Pitcher of the Year. He was chosen to be on the rosters of All-America first teams by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, NCBWA and Rivals.com. Further, Miller was selected as a finalist in 2006 for the Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball, won by Tim Lincecum.
Career accomplishments and honors Miller set Carolina strikeout records for both single season (133 in 2006) and career (325). He also ranked third in Tar Heels' history with 27 wins and fourth in total innings pitched with 309. He reached double-figures in strikeouts in nine games in his career.
On January 30, 2016, UNC commemorated Miller's accomplishments during the half-time of a men's basketball game versus Boston College and retired his uniform number 33. He became the third Tar Heel baseball alumnus thusly recognized, following Dave Lemonds and B. J. Surhoff.
Chatham A's In the summers of 2004 and 2005, Miller pitched for the Chatham A's in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). In a July 2004 game versus the Falmouth Commodores called by fog after four innings, he struck out 12 batters, including future Red Sox teammate Jacoby Ellsbury. With Miller's slider hitting the back foot of several hitters as they swung at strike three and missed, controversy arose as to whether they had been officially hit by the pitch or were out on strikes. However, the game's achievements were not counted as five innings would have had to have been completed for the game to be entered as an official record. Named to the CCBL All-Star Game that summer, Miller pitched one inning and struck out all three batters he faced. His season totals included 48 strikeouts in 40 innings, 2–0 W–L and a 2.03 ERA. Baseball America named him the league's number one Major League prospect.
In 2005, Miller posted a 1.65 ERA. Baseball America rated him the College Summer Player of the Year and the number one prospect in the CCBL in 2005. That year, he also won the Robert A. McNeece Award (outstanding professional prospect) and was a co-winner with Tim Norton of Falmouth and Uconn for the B.F.C. Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award.
Overall with the A's, Miller won eight games without being defeated and struck out 114 batters in 89 innings. Once the compulsory five-year waiting period concluded, Miller was elected to the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2012. Former Chatham general manager Charlie Thoms presented him for enshrinement on November 10, 2012, at the Chatham Bars Inn.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues Although Miller was considered a possible first overall selection in the 2006 MLB draft, the Kansas City Royals instead took Luke Hochevar, and the Detroit Tigers chose Miller sixth overall. They agreed to a contract with a guaranteed value of $5.45 million and a signing bonus of $3.55 million on August 4, 2006. He made his professional debut on August 20, 2006, with the Lakeland Tigers of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. His stint with Lakeland lasted less than a week, as he pitched his third and final outing six days later. After five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, Detroit called him up to the major leagues.
Detroit Tigers Miller made his MLB debut on August 30, 2006, at Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees, pitching one scoreless inning and allowing one baserunner, Craig Wilson, on a hit by pitch. In eight games, Miller posted a 0–1 record with a 6.10 ERA, walking ten batters in innings, including seven of 16 left-handers faced. The Tigers advanced to the playoffs and did not include him on the roster. They lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2006 World Series. Baseball America rated Miller's slider as the best in the Tigers organization and the franchise's second-best prospect overall.