Andrew Miller was such a postseason force for the Cleveland Indians in 2016 that he found his way into RADIO.COM Sports' countdown of the best postseason pitchers of the 2010s. However, the 2020s aren't starting nearly as promising for the veteran reliever.
According to Chuck King of The Associated Press, as the Cardinals prepare for a season where they fancy themselves World Series contenders, Miller has been shut down temporarily:
“The sensation I have throwing a baseball now just isn’t consistent with what it is when I know I’m good,” Miller said.
Miller struggles to describe the feeling he experiences when releasing the ball. It’s not pain. There’s no burning or tingling. It simply doesn’t feel right.
Scheduled to pitch in relief on Monday, Miller cut short his warm-up after several tosses badly missed his target.
As King noted, Miller hit multiple batters in a recent Spring Training appearance. That came after two consecutive disappointing seasons for Miller, who was once one of the game's elite late-inning options. In 2018 - which proved to be his final season with the Indians - Miller was limited to just 37 appearances because of a knee injury. After signing a lucrative two-year deal with the Cardinals in free agency ahead of the 2019 season, Miller struggled mightily in his first season with the club, posting a 4.45 ERA and -0.4 fWAR in 73 regular season games.
Perhaps a little time off will allow Miller to reset mentally and he'll rediscover things and prove to be a productive piece for a Cardinals team that reached the NLCS a year ago. However, with no evidence of an injury, you're left to wonder if Miller doesn't have a case of the yips.
Though former NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is probably the most recent notable example of the yips - which, depending upon who you talk to, is normally defined as an inability to perform at the level you normally are accustomed to because of anxiety or a related mental health issue - Cardinals fans are all too familiar with the concept.
Former top pitching prospect Rick Ankiel was never able to rediscover his form as a pitcher at the major league level after coming down with the yips during the 2000 season:
Ankiel would eventually have a relatively successful major league career, but not as a pitcher. He ultimately transitioned into playing in the outfield, and peaked in 2008 when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 71 runs.
Of course, Ankiel was 20 years old in 2000. Miller is 34 and has a long track record as a successful reliever. Between 2014 and 2017 - a stretch where he played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Indians - Miller was tied with Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman as the second most valuable reliever in baseball, per FanGraphs. The Cardinals signed him to be able to pitch in high-leverage situations. Right now, he's struggling to even complete bullpen sessions.
It's possible that the Cardinals will discover an injury with Miller that explains what's going on. If not, though, Miller's potential acquisition of the yips will be an interesting story to monitor throughout the 2020 season.
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