Mixing in a few more ingredients
Hader adapts, adjusts to remain a dominant closer
PHOENIX – It often has been said that players get to the major leagues on talent and stay in the major leagues by making adjustments.
Josh Hader can relate quite well to that baseball axiom.
When the Milwaukee Brewers’ lanky left-handed reliever got to the big leagues during the 2017 season, he got by primarily by throwing fastballs by hitters (81.5% fastballs, according to FanGraphs). And got by quite nicely with a 2.08 earned run average over 35 appearances, with 68 strikeouts in 472⁄3innings.
Hader stuck with that approach in 2018 (79% fastballs) and continued to dominate hitters. As part of the “Electric Dudes” trio with Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel at the back of the bullpen, Hader went 8-1 with a 2.43 ERA and 12 saves over 55 appearances, striking out an incredible 143 hitters in 811⁄3innings.
Hader was crowned reliever of the year in the National League for his role in helping the Brewers roar from behind to overtake the Chicago Cubs for
“It doesn't matter how long you've been playing, you continue to learn to make yourself better. As long as you're open to getting better, that's the reason I want to continue to play this game as long as I can.” Brewers pitcher Josh Hader
the Central Division title. But he soon discovered that you cannot live by the fastball alone in the big leagues.
Hitters started sitting on Hader's fastball in 2019 and knocking it out of the park with alarming frequency. He was still dominant for the most part – 2.62 ERA in 61 appearances, 138 strikeouts in 752⁄3innings with 37 saves – but wasn't pleased that 15 balls left the park, with a jump to 21.4% of homers off his fastball.
By the end of that season, Hader began mixing in more sliders, particularly to right-handed hitters, and he emerged as the NL reliever of the year once again. Determined to keep hitters guessing even more during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he boosted his slider usage to 32.3%, more than double from the previous year.
“It kept them honest,” Hader said Tuesday during a Zoom session with reporters. “That was the biggest thing. When hitters can sit on one pitch and eliminate other pitches, that makes it a pretty tough out. For me, adding that slider, they couldn't sit on that one pitch. They had to respect the other ones.”
Something else changed for Hader last season that he also enjoyed immensely. Manager Craig Counsell began using him more as a true ninth-inning closer, asking him to get more than three outs just once in 21 appearances.
It was a significant change from the previous season, when Hader led the majors with nine saves of at least two innings. Overall, he made 14 appearances of at least two innings (the team was 13-1 in those games) out of 61 times he took the mound.
Of course, everything was different in 2020, as we all know. But it certainly didn't hurt that Devin Williams emerged as a dominant setup man with a crazy-good changeup to become the surprise winner of the NL rookie of the year award.
“The closer role is a good fit, especially with the bullpen arms we have,” Hader said. “Having Devin being able to fill the gap in the seventh and eighth, and the other guys as well. There's a lot of options out there to bridge the gap.”
As for all those multi-inning outings in previous years, Hader said, “It's definitely taxing for a full season. You work with the whole (training) staff to continue to get your body primed and ready. The up and downs (between innings) are what's more taxing than anything, especially the amount of pitches.
“That's something that wears and tears on you over the course of the season. There's a lot of thought, a lot of preparation that goes into a season like that.”
Counsell confirmed Tuesday that the plan again this year is to use Hader more in the traditional closer role as pitching staffs prepare for a return to the full 162game schedule.
“I think he does (enjoy closing),” Counsell said. “I think he'll largely be in the same role this year. It's the composition of everybody else around him. Josh has to pull his weight and throw his innings to share the load in the bullpen. He's going to do it at the back of games.”
Once again showing that he's willing to try anything to be more effective, Hader has been tinkering with his changeup a bit more this spring. It remains to be seen how much he will use it with games on the line but merely putting the thought in a hitter's mind that a changeup might be coming could provide an extra edge.
“That was one of the biggest pitches since I (came into) the organization in 2015 as a starter,” Hader said. “That's a pitch I always had, but it's never been consistent. Same with the slider. The slider was more of a priority once I made it to the big leagues, to get that tuned-up and consistent, and I feel like I was in a good spot last year with that slider so I was able to put more focus on that changeup.
“This year, I'm able to use it in games and see how it plays out with lefty and righty hitters. I'm excited about it. Hitters can't just sit on one pitch now. That adds a little bit extra play for that fastball. It makes it tough for the hitters. Once you start doing it more, you get that confidence in your mind.
“I threw a few in the game last year. Maybe a handful. But at that time, when it was do or die, you really had to bring your best stuff. I felt like last year that wasn't the best option that I had. Going into the offseason I had way more time to really work on it, just throw it more, and get that consistent spin.
“The batters, they tell me everything. The reactions that I get, the swing and miss I was getting, told me I was ready to play it in the game.”
Still young at 26, with 31⁄2 years of bigleague experience under his belt, Hader continues to show a willingness to improve and adapt as he goes from season to season. His fastball has life and deception as he slings it toward the plate but isn't completely overpowering at an average of 95 mph, so he tries to keep hitters from sitting on it.
“This is a real credit to Josh, seeing the big picture and long-term, really understanding himself really well and understanding matchups in the game, giving himself options,” Counsell said. “That's exactly what he's trying to do. What's another option in a game? What's something else I can do?
“Josh himself started all this, really. It goes back to his days as a starter in the minor leagues, when he had these pitches. So, they're not brand new. He has thrown them before. You adjust as the league adjusts against you to keep getting better.”
So, it is true. Talent gets you to the big leagues but the willingness to adjust and adapt is what keeps you there. Just ask Josh Hader.
“It doesn't matter how long you've been playing, you continue to learn to make yourself better,” he said. “As long as you're open to getting better, that's the reason I want to continue to play this game as long as I can.
“This league is going to adjust to you no matter what. There's so much data on us and scouting reports that they have everything that you're thinking. To continue to one-up or just to improve your craft, I think that's the most important thing. We'll see how it plays out this year.”