Padres' Mason Miller has gone full Trevor Hoffman mode with latest walkout song craze

How does anyone ever live up to what Trevor Hoffman has done for the Padres? Plenty needs to be considered to be in the conversation with San Diego's Hall of Fame closer: Success, longevity, and of course, a walkout song that not only instills fear in the opposition, but faith in the Friars fandom.

Well, Mason Miller was one-third of the way there entering the 2026 season. Arguably (and by arguably, we mean definitely) the best reliever in Major League Baseball, Miller can throw his fastball 104 MPH. He did so en route to an 18.0 K/9 in his first stint with the Padres in 2025.

That much was clear about Miller. But now, he is stepping into the next part of what it takes to be a great and beloved reliever with the Padres. In his 2026 debut, Miller unveiled his walkout song for the ninth inning, and he could not have nailed it any better. With the lights at Petco Park going black, all senses turn to the heavy guitar shredding through the loud speakers as "Blind" by Korn plays.

Miller, in typical fashion, threw a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to record his first save of the season, but he won the hearts of social media and the San Diego fanbase with his A+ song choice.

Mason Miller's entrance song has all of Padres Nation talking

Does Korn's track live up to Hoffman's walkout choice of "Hells Bells" by AC/DC? It evokes the same emotions. It is heavy enough to get the crowd excited and locked in at the same time. Of course, Miller has a long way to go in terms of longevity to reach Hoffman's status, but his newfound identity alongside his walkout song is a tremendous step in the right direction.

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. even weighed in on Miller's walkout. Even if he isn't a fan of listening to Korn on his own accord, he sure loved the way it got the stadium rocking.

Now, if Miller continues to use this song, we can disband any prior argument that Miller should be deployed at any point in the game. Miller is too good of a pitcher to have a label. He probably should be used in situations when the team needs him most, even if it is in the sixth or seventh innings. However, if he is going to jog out to Korn, the Padres may as well wait on bringing Miller in for the ninth inning. It is too on brand for the Padres.

So, we have the closer. We have the song. Can Miller go 3-for-3 and dominate for the next decade? Only time will tell.