Josh Hader

Josh Ronald Hader (born April 7, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a two-time All-Star and two-time winner of the National League Reliever of the Year Award.

Josh Hader
Hader with the Brewers in 2019
Milwaukee Brewers – No. 71
Pitcher
Born: (1994-04-07) April 7, 1994
Millersville, Maryland
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
June 10, 2017, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics
(through September 28, 2019)
Win–loss record11–9
Earned run average2.42
Strikeouts349
Saves49
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
2015 Toronto Team

The Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 19th round of the 2012 MLB draft. He was traded twice before joining the Brewers organization in 2015. Hader played for the United States national baseball team in the Pan American Games in 2015, and appeared in the All-Star Futures Game in 2016. Traded to the Brewers organization in 2015, Hader made his MLB debut in 2017.

Early life

Hader attended Old Mill High School in Millersville, Maryland, where he played for the school's baseball team. As a senior, Hader had a 10–0 win–loss record, a 0.30 earned run average (ERA), and 125 strikeouts. He also had a batting average above .400.[1][2]

Professional career

Minor Leagues

After graduating from high school, Hader was prepared to enroll at Anne Arundel Community College.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles selected Hader in the 19th round of the 2012 MLB draft, with the 582nd overall selection.[3][4] He signed with the Orioles for a $40,000 signing bonus, rather than attend Anne Arundel.[1][3] Beginning his professional career, Hader's fastball velocity increased from, 84 to 88 miles per hour (135 to 142 km/h) as a high school player, to 94 to 95 miles per hour (151 to 153 km/h) as he changed his workout routine.[5]

Hader played for the Gulf Coast Orioles in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and the Aberdeen Ironbirds of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League, allowing only 14 hits and nine walks while striking out 48 in ​28 2⁄3 innings pitched.[2] In 2013, the Orioles assigned Hader to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL). He appeared in the SAL All-Star Game,[5] and through July 31, pitched to a 3–6 record with 79 strikeouts and a 2.65 ERA in 17 games started.[3]

Houston Astros

On July 31, 2013, the day of the MLB trade deadline, the Orioles traded Hader and L. J. Hoes to the Houston Astros in exchange for Bud Norris.[1][3] He completed his 2013 season with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League.[6]

Pitching for the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League in 2014, Hader and two relief pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter on May 13.[7] After pitching to a 9–2 record with a league-leading 2.70 ERA and 112 strikeouts in ​103 1⁄3 innings, the Astros promoted him to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League in August. He was named the California League Pitcher of the Year.[8] Hader returned to Corpus Christi in the 2015 season.[9] He was selected to play for the United States national baseball team in the 2015 Pan American Games.[10]

Milwaukee Brewers

On July 30, 2015, the Astros traded Hader, Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana, and Adrian Houser to the Milwaukee Brewers for Carlos Gómez and Mike Fiers.[11] The Brewers assigned Hader to the Biloxi Shuckers of the Class AA Southern League.[12] He finished the season with a 3.03 ERA combined.

The Brewers invited him to spring training in 2016.[13] Hader began the 2016 season with Biloxi, and made his first start for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League on June 12.[14] He was selected to appear in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game.[15] The Brewers added him to their 40-man roster after the season.[16]

Hader began the 2017 season with Colorado Springs. The Brewers promoted him to the major leagues on June 9.[17] He made his major league debut on June 10.[18]

Hader began 2018 in the Milwaukee bullpen. On April 30, Hader became the first pitcher ever to record eight strikeouts in an outing that was less than three innings long. He recorded a ​2 2⁄3-inning save against the Cincinnati Reds, in which he faced nine batters, recording eight strikeouts and one walk.[19] Owning a 1.21 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 44 innings, Hader was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game.[20] Hader appeared in the 2018 All-Star Game at the top of the eighth inning. During his appearance, he gave up hits to Rangers' Shin-Soo Choo and Astros' George Springer before Mariners' Jean Segura hit a home run to left field to give the American All-Stars a 5–2 lead.[21][22] After giving up a single to Boston Red Sox baseman Mitch Moreland, Hader was replaced after 26 pitches, allowing four hits and one out over five batters.[23]

In 2018, Hader was 6–1 with 12 saves and a 2.43 ERA. He had 143 strikeouts in ​81 1⁄3 innings. Among MLB pitchers who threw at least 20 innings, Hader held left-handed batters to the lowest batting average (.088).[24] He won the National League Reliever of the Year Award.[25]

Hader began the 2019 season as the Brewers' closer following injuries to fellow relievers Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder strain) and Corey Knebel (Tommy John surgery). On March 30, Hader pitched an immaculate inning to earn the save against the St. Louis Cardinals, striking out Tyler O'Neill, Dexter Fowler, and Yairo Munoz on nine consecutive strikes, seven of which were swinging strikes.[26] In the 2019 National League Wild Card Game, Hader blew the save for the Brewers, giving up a three-run single to Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals, which, coupled with an error from right fielder Trent Grisham, led to Washington's go-ahead run scoring on the play and resulted in the Brewers eventually losing the game.[27] Hader finished his 2019 season with a 3-5 record, a 2.62 ERA, and 138 strikeouts over ​72 2⁄3 relief innings. He won his second consecutive NL Reliever of the Year Award.[28]

Twitter controversy

During the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, a series of tweets by Hader ranging from mid-2011 to late-2012 were discovered to contain racist, homophobic and sexist content.[29][30] Friends and family of Hader who were invited to the game were given blank jerseys to wear due to the controversy.[31][32] Hader issued an apology after the game and deleted his account on Twitter.[33][34]

Pitching style

Hader has a three-pitch repertoire: a four-seam fastball that tops out at 98 mph, a slider (82 mph) and a very rarely-thrown changeup (86 mph).[35] As a left-handed sidearm pitcher with great disguises to hide the ball, he is known to throw most of his fastballs and sliders in a crossfire (from left to mid right edge of a right-handed batter's strike zone) against right-handers. This style makes Hader an extreme fly-ball pitcher.

References
  1. Pleskoff, Bernie (August 1, 2013). "Newly acquired pitcher Josh Hader brings high upside to Houston Astros". MLB.com. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  2. Melewski, Steve (December 14, 2012). "A look at Josh Hader and his stunning velocity increase last summer". MASN. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  3. Connolly, Dan (July 31, 2013). "Josh Hader says 'it's pretty crazy' he's been traded from Orioles to Astros". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  4. Williams, Preston (June 6, 2012). "Old Mill pitcher Josh Hader drafted by Orioles". Washington Post. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  5. Driver, David (June 23, 2013). "Old Mill's Hader has been impressive as Orioles' prospect". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  6. "YouTube: Quad-Cities River Bandits pitcher Josh Hader". Qctimes.com. September 15, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  7. "Houston Astros prospects Josh Hader, J.D. Osbourne, Daniel Minor combine on no-hitter for Lancaster JetHawks". MiLB.com. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  8. de Jesus Ortiz, Jose (August 22, 2014). "Astros minor leaguer Josh Hader named California League Pitcher of the Year". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  9. "Corpus Christi Hooks lefty Josh Hader has used his laid back presence on and off the mound to go from a 19th round pick of the Orioles in 2012 to the Astros 2014 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. – Corpus Christi Hooks News". MiLB.com. June 2, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  10. "Hooks pitcher Josh Hader and catcher Roberto Peña will represent the United States and Puerto Rico, respectively, at the Pan-American Games July 10–19 in Toronto – Corpus Christi Hooks News". MiLB.com. July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  11. "Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers traded to Houston Astros for prospects". ESPN.com. July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  12. "Hader masterful in Shuckers debut: Hader allows one hit, strikes out nine". Biloxi Sun Herald. August 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  13. McCalvy, Adam (February 28, 2016). "Southpaw Hader has Majors starter potential: Prospect grateful for 'big opportunity' at first big league camp". MLB.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  14. Peng, Michael (June 12, 2016). "Hader allows one hit in Triple-A debut: Brewers No. 4 prospect fans nine, gives up two runs over six innings". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  15. foxsports (June 28, 2016). "Brewers prospect Hader named to All-Star Futures Game". FOX Sports. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  16. McCalvy, Adam (November 18, 2016). "Brewers' Brinson, Hader added to 40-man roster". MLB.com. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  17. "Brewers summon lefty Josh Hader, place Travis Shaw on family leave". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  18. Rosiak, Todd (June 15, 2017). "Brewers taking it slowly with Josh Hader". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  19. "Josh Hader Becomes 1st Pitcher to Record 8 Ks in Fewer Than 3 Innings". April 30, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  20. Journal, ANDREW WAGNER For the State. "Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, Josh Hader selected to All-Star Game; Jesus Aguilar needs fans' votes". Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  21. "Segura smacks go-ahead 3-run homer – ESPN Video". Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  22. "All-Star Game 2018: Rare rally, error lead to Jean Segura's three-run shot". Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  23. "All-Stars vs. All-Stars – Play-By-Play – July 17, 2018". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  24. Splits Leaderboards | FanGraphs
  25. https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2018/10/27/brewers-josh-hader-wins-2018-trevor-hoffman-award-top-reliever-nl/1793905002/
  26. McCalvy, Adam (March 31, 2019). "Hader closes out win with immaculate inning". MLB.com. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  27. https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-hader-allows-3-runs-as-brewers-lose-wild-card-game
  28. https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2019/10/26/brewers-josh-hader-repeats-top-relief-pitcher-national-league/2458672001/
  29. Brewers' Josh Hader apologizes for uncovered trove of racist, sexist, and homophobic tweets – For The Win (USA Today)
  30. "MLB all-star apologizes for history of racist tweets". ABC News. July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  31. "Jeff Passan on Twitter". Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  32. Brewers reliever Josh Hader remorseful for offensive tweets – ESPN
  33. Hader 'deeply sorry' for previous tweets – ESPN Video
  34. Burke, Caroline (July 18, 2018). "Josh Hader Locks Twitter Account After Alleged Old Tweets Surface". Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  35. "BrooksBaseball.net Player Card: Josh Hader". www.brooksbaseball.net. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
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