Houston Astros Closer Josh Hader Enters 2025 Atop All-Time MLB Leaderboards

Josh Hader has limited opponents to a .158 batting average over the course of his career, making the Houston Astros relief pitcher the all-time leader in the category.

Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) reacts to striking out a Seattle Mariners player to end the top of the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

In many ways, Josh Hader failed to live up to his massive price tag in 2024.

And still, no pitcher in MLB history has ben quite as effective as the Houston Astros lefty.

As noted by Codify, Hader enters the 2025 season with a .158 career batting average against. No other MLB pitcher with at least 250 innings pitched has held opponents to a lower batting average.

Josh Hader has faced over 1,800 batters during his big league career and they've batted just .158 against him.

It's the lowest batting average allowed by any pitcher with at least 250 innings pitched in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/zEXnW6iPb2

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 25, 2025

Even in a down year for Hader in 2024, he limited opposing hitters to a .171 batting average. On the whole, the southpaw went 8-8 with a 3.80 ERA, 0.958 WHIP, 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings, 34 saves and a 0.6 WAR in 71 appearances after inking a five-year, $95 million deal last January.

Hader made four All-Star appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers, then one more with the San Diego Padres, before arriving in Houston. He has been named NL Reliever of the Year three times, racking up more wins than anyone else since the award was introduced in 2014.

Heading into his age-31 season, Hader is 28-29 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.946 WHIP, 753 strikeouts, 199 saves and a 12.6 WAR across 459.2 innings of work.

The Astros traded Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs this winter, costing Hader an All-Star setup man, but he is still in line to form a dominant one-two punch alongside Bryan Abreu.

Houston's regular season opener against the New York Mets is scheduled to get underway at 4:10 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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