Hader Among the Best in MLB History

When the 28-year-old southpaw struck out Tucupita Marcano to close out the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night, Josh Hader earned his MLB-best ninth save of 2022. He only needed to retire that lone hitter to secure a 12-8 Brewers win. Still, after a trio of previous relievers failed to stop the bleeding, Hader's career-long reliability was the elixir. It was the 105th save of his career, only the third Brewers pitcher with more than 100, joining John Axford (106) and Dan Plesac (133). 

Considering the number of close games the 2022 Brewers are likely to play, this could be Hader's finest season as a pro. Entering Wednesday's action, the three-time All-Star had faced 29 batters across 8.1 innings with the following results:

• 12 strikeouts
• Nine saves (0 blown saves)
• Two walks
• Two hits
• 0 runs

This year, ridiculous fails to express Hader's dominance against opposing hitters with a batting average of 077, a .143 OBP, .115 slugging percentage, and .258 OPS. However, it should be no surprise to see Hader silencing bats thoroughly. Nor should it stun you to hear that he has the third-most saves after a team's first 18 games in MLB history. After Hader picked up his 100th career save earlier this season, manager Craig Counsell heaped enormous praise on his closer:

Quote

"No reliever has had a better start to his career than Josh Hader in the game's history. I'm not exaggerating. That's a fact. I don't think it's disputable."

The Brewers' left-handed hurler is less than a month into his sixth year, and it feels as though many fans of the Crew still don't recognize his greatness. Among all MLB pitchers with at least 200 innings pitched through their first six seasons, Hader resides at or near the top in most significant categories:

• WHIP: 0.844 (1st)
• H/9: 4.2 (1st)
• AVG: .139 (1st)
• K/9: 15.3 (2nd)
• OPS+: 39 (2nd)
• OBP: .233 (2nd)
• OPS: .511 (3rd)
• ERA+: 196 (4th)
• SLG: .278 (6th)
• K/BB: 4.56 (12th)
• Saves: 105 (33rd)

Truly remarkable execution that places him among and above the elite hurlers in the game's annals. He only lacks the saves due to his arguably more valuable role as a "fireman" for a few years with the Brewers instead of pitching in a traditional closer's role. Counsell eschewed the idea of a save in favor of using his best reliever for the highest-leverage situations, whether it be in the 7th inning, for multiple frames, with runners on base, or when the opponents' best hitters were due up. In many ways, Hader became the epitome of modern pitching usage through a better understanding of a reliever's value.

That role gradually changed over time as Hader and Counsell acknowledged the mental and physical challenges of the fireman's duties. During Spring Training in 2021, Counsell told reporters that Hader would be used in a traditional closer's role like he was during the 2020 season, and Hader was happy to hear it.

"The ups and downs are what's more taxing than anything, especially the amount of pitches," Hader said. "That's something that wears and tears on you over the course of the season." 

Now the veteran finds comfort in knowing that most days, he will only be pitching the 9th inning to nail down a victory or keep the score tied to set up the offense to win the game. It has been effective, as Hader has converted 56 of 59 save opportunities since 2020 - a 95% success rate - thanks to an exploding fastball and a nasty slider.

Josh Hader, 97mph Fastball and 83mph Slider, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/GmpbIE4VNg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 20, 2022

But how long will he do it in a Brewers' uniform remains in doubt, and that should concern fans. Hader is making $11 million this season and will become a free agent after the 2023 campaign. With his price tag going up again next season and a chance to break the bank on a long-term deal in less than two years, this could be his final six months in Milwaukee (should they trade him in the off-season).

For now, fans should cherish whatever remains of Hader's time with the Brewers and fondly look back at the consistency and excellence he brought to the bullpen for more than half a decade.