In his Milwaukee Brewers days, Josh Hader was elite. Throw out the end of his time there in a blip of a 2022 campaign and that’s still been the case in two of his last three seasons. Before biceps inflammation in his throwing arm cut his season short, the sinker-balling southpaw posted a 2.05 ERA in Houston last year with a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.75. He allowed just 29 hits in 52 innings, struck out 76, and recorded 28 saves.
That’s pretty much what Brewers fans remember. In Milwaukee and elsewhere, his peak of excellence prompted one prominent baseball writer to suggest, ever so casually, that the former Brewers soul-snatcher might be on his way to the Hall of Fame.
Hader a Hall of Famer? He could be on track
“Hader, 31, is building a strong case for the Hall of Fame, given his level of dominance,” believes ESPN’s Buster Olney. In his top 10 reliever rankings for 2026, Hader sneaks into the final slot. He’s only that far down, Olney clarifies, because of the lingering biceps issue. “He’s had two seasons in his career in which his Adjusted OPS was over 300, and he’s allowed 282 hits in 512⅓ innings over his first nine seasons.”
He also has 829 strikeouts. In 512.1 innings.
Only eight true relievers are enshrined in Cooperstown: Richard Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman, and Mariano Rivera. (John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley also dominated as closers but began their careers as starters.)
With several more elite seasons, Hader should at least secure a spot in the conversation.
It’s not just his entire body of work. It’s the heights he’s reached in individual seasons. The year before he was traded from Milwaukee, Hader pitched to a microscopic 1.23 ERA while posting a K-rate of 15.6 and allowing 3.8 hits per nine.
Let that sink in. 3.8 hits per nine innings.
Incredibly, he had two other Brewers seasons with over 100 strikeouts as a reliever from 2018-19: 143 in 81.1 IP and 138 in 75.2 IP. Hader has four such seasons in his career.
His first full season in San Diego, he came up with a 1.28 ERA, gave up just three home runs in 56 innings, whiffed 85, and allowed only 32 hits total.
After a so-so Astros introduction, Hader returned to form in 2025. Houston is hoping for a follow-up season to match.
In his career, Hader has a 2.64 ERA and 227 saves.
For More Great Wisconsin Content
Follow me on X at @ezsniper14 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
