Josh Hader has added another remarkable milestone to an already historic career, becoming the hardest pitcher to hit over the past century among those with at least 500 career appearances.
Hader secured the record during the Houston Astros’ 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, finishing the ninth inning without allowing a baserunner. The left-hander struck out all three batters he faced on just 16 pitches, 11 of which were strikes.
The dominant finish also marked the 250th save of Hader’s career, making him only the sixth left-handed pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone.
The historic statistic was highlighted by OptaSTATS, which noted that Hader’s.155 career opponent batting average is the lowest among pitchers with at least 500 appearances over the last 100 years.
Hader’s latest performance was another example of the form he has shown since returning from the injured list. He has converted all 23 of his save opportunities since his return in June and has now put together 20 consecutive scoreless appearances.
The 2026 season has been particularly impressive for the veteran closer. Through 39 appearances, Hader owns a 4-1 record, 0.70 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 52 strikeouts across 38.1 innings.
His 250 saves also place him among an exclusive group of left-handed closers that includes legends such as Billy Wagner and John Franco. Hader’s combination of longevity and run prevention has now produced one of the rarest statistical achievements in the sport.
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The timing could hardly be more important for Houston. The Astros entered Saturday at 73-69 and holding a 3-game lead in the AL West, making Hader’s reliability in the ninth inning especially valuable as the postseason approaches.
With his historic opponent average and perfect save record since returning, Hader has given Houston one of baseball’s most dependable weapons for the stretch run.
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