Josh Hader

Josh Hader may come at a discount in 2023 due to those who fixate on a stretch of outings in August 2022 or look only at his final ERA. The surface stats are much uglier than fantasy managers have been used to seeing. The 28-year-old ended with a 5.22 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, both of which are career highs by a longshot. Looking beneath that, however, shows that his xERA was 3.51 with an xFIP of 2.94. His K% and Whiff% remain in elite status, and he still walked away with 36 saves. This is still a player with Top-3 closer abilities, so fantasy managers in leagues where others shy away due to a few outings in August should draft, sit back, and enjoy.

Josh Hader closes out White Sox Saturday

Padres closer Josh Hader picked up his 35th save on Saturday. He tossed a scoreless ninth inning, allowing a hit while striking out two in a 5-2 victory over the White Sox.

Fantasy Impact

A month ago it looked like the trade for Hader was one of the worst moves in recent memory. However, Hader has completely turned things around and is back to looking dominant on the mound. It's exactly what the Padres were looking for as the postseason approaches.