Josh Hader DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader picked up the save on Thursday, closing the doors on the Mets in a 3-1 victory. It wasn't a flawless inning by any means, as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk. Early season rust aside, Hader should continue to be one of the game's most dominant closers. In 2024, he collected 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 71 innings. He did need 35 pitches to finish the frame, so don't be surprised if he is unavailable out of the pen for the next game or two.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader said that he's trying to simplify and limit his movements before his windup to the plate this year. "Not really with my mechanics, but just the initial coming set," Hader said. "That's where a lot of things can be picked up by hitters, when you're coming set. You tend to do certain things on certain pitches. Just trying to limit any tell that I could." Additionally, the hard-throwing 30-year-old southpaw is working on making his changeup a bigger part of his arsenal. Of his 1,166 pitches in 2024, Hader threw only 12 changeups, with 11 coming to right-handed hitters. Other than giving up 12 homers in his first year in Houston in 2024, Hader was a pretty dominant closer with 34 saves and a 79.1 percent share of his team's saves. He also led all relievers with 105 strikeouts, and his 37.8% strikeout rate ranked third. Consider Hader a top-five fantasy closer in 2025.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader got back on track in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Mariners, earning a four-out save. Hader came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning up by one with two outs and runners on first and third. He got the third out with a strikeout and stayed in to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. The 30-year-old closed the door on an American League West division title, just one outing after yielding four runs while recording just one out. Hader has not performed as well as he had earlier in his career, but he has still racked up 34 saves with a 3.60 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and a 13.37 K/9 rate in 70 innings of work. Given his job security and strong offense backing him, he should remain a high-end fantasy option for the foreseeable future.