Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Josh Hader is in the midst of the most dominant season of his career.
With his name being tossed around in trade rumors, many MLB fans are curious about what the 27-year-old would bring to a new team.
The answer?
A whole lot.
The question we are looking to answer today is whether Hader is overrated, and our findings are going to suggest that he is absolutely not.
3. His Overall Track Record Suggests That His Outstanding 2021 Season Is No Fluke
Realistically, no one expects Hader to maintain his current pace forever.
That said, his campaign thus far can’t be described as a fluke.
Hader has shown time and time again that he is capable of pitching at a historic level, and it’s all coming together this year.
Hader currently has a 0.57 ERA, 0.85 FIP, and 0.70 WHIP.
He has allowed just two runs over 32 appearances.
His ERA+ of 726 suggests that he has been 626 percent better than league-average this season.
Those numbers are almost impossible to process.
#Brewers closer Josh Hader now 19 for 19 in save chances. Truly has been Mr. Reliable.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) June 23, 2021
Prior to this season, Hader displayed his potential to breakthrough like this.
He pitched to a 2.54 ERA, 171 ERA+, 2.85 FIP, and 0.86 WHIP over the first four years of his career.
He was named an All-Star twice and even finished seventh in the Cy Young race in 2018.
Needless to say, he is going to be receiving Cy Young votes this season, too.
2. His Strikeout Rate Is Through The Roof
The last time we got through a full 162-game season was in 2019.
That year, the league-average strikeout rate was 23 percent.
In other words, 23 percent of plate appearances ended in strikeouts.
Hader’s career strikeout rate is 44.3 percent.
He fans almost half of the batters he faces.
You often hear someone say that a starting pitcher has no-hit stuff, but that description also applies to Hader.
Hitters do well just to put the ball in play against him.
This season, he has fanned 53 batters in 31.2 innings.
Last season, he fanned 31 batters in 19.0 innings.
The previous season (2019), he fanned 138 batters in 75.2 innings.
And the season before that one (2018), he fanned 143 batters in 81.1 innings.
To shut the door tonight, Josh Hader was immaculate. pic.twitter.com/lYbAyWstPv
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2019
Hader is a nightmare to face, and he is going to be around to haunt hitters for a long time.
1. He Has Been Unaffected By The Foreign Substance Ban
It has been a turbulent couple of weeks for many MLB pitchers since the new foreign substance enforcement rules kicked in.
While many aces have struggled to find their footing (and their grip), Hader has been unbothered.
Since the league announced its plans to change the enforcement rules in early June, Hader has tossed nine scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out 13.
Further, since the new enforcement rules actually went into effect on June 21, he has tossed perfect frames while striking out three.
Wrap-Up
Hader is a generational talent, and his value is through the roof.
If he does get moved at the upcoming deadline, the return will be a hefty one.
It will be very interesting to see how Milwaukee handles the situation.
Hader is about to enter arbitration, so he figures to get expensive very quickly.
That may be something the Brewers want to avoid.
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