Astros Star Josh Hader Discusses Changes He's Making Ahead of Upcoming Season

After his debut season with the Houston Astros didn't quite go as planned, Josh Hader is making some changes heading into next year.

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader (71) throws against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros shocked everyone last offseason when they handed Josh Hader the most lucrative deal for a closer in Major League Baseball history.

Not only was the contract something that was eye-catching, but the fact they already had Ryan Pressly in that role performing well made this move a bit confusing.

Hader was good for the Astros, but he wasn't dominant.

Houston was expecting to get the 2023 version of the left-hander when he posted a 1.28 ERA and a ridiculous 331 ERA+ that put him 231 percentage points above the league average.

But, they had to settle for a 3.80 ERA and 104 ERA+.

The Astros will certainly take that since he was still an effective closer by going 34-for-38 in save opportunities that was actually better than what he did the previous year when he went 33-of-38, but for the amount of money they gave him, they want a Hall of Fame output.

Hader knows that, and he thinks he's found a way to get back to that level.

"For me, it started back up in November, and I really tried to tackle everything, and right now trying to just work on my arsenal a little bit. Trying to be more simple in my delivery and be able to be more consistent. I think that was kind of my takeaway this year ... Not really with my mechanics, but just the initial coming set. 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," he said per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

It was a roller coaster for the left-hander this past campaign.

He began his Astros tenure with a solid showing in his first three appearances during March, but followed it up with a 7.45 ERA in April. He got things back on track the next two months with 1.35 and 3.38 ERAs respectively, but then posted a 5.23 in July.

Hader was able to bounce back again the following month by looking like his dominant self with a sizzling 0.68 ERA across 13 outings in August, but he ended the season on a sour note with a 6.75 ERA in September before giving up an earned run on four hits during his two appearances in the playoffs.

His pre-pitch motion isn't the only thing he's adjusting, though.

The star closer is also trying to add another weapon to his arsenal.

"I've been trying to figure out a changeup for a long time now, and I've had a decent one but haven't thrown it [much]. Being able to get that right to have three pitches instead of just a fastball and slider and be able to have something that goes the other way [away from right-handers]," Hader shared.

For context, out of the 1,166 pitches he threw in 2024, only 12 of them were changeups according to McTaggart, so if the can hone that in and make that part of his pitch set, then he could become even more dangerous than he's been during his career.