What To Expect: Josh Hader

The first of the Brewers next wave of prospects is on his way to the big leagues.

The Brewers called up lefthander Josh Hader from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday, and he will join the team on its current road trip in Arizona.

Hader, the Brewers No. 2 prospect and No. 31 overall, went 3-4, 5.37 with 51 strikeouts and 31 walks in 52 innings at Triple-A. A starter throughout his career, the 23-year-old moved to an abbreviated start schedule and pitched just two innings in each of his last two outings.

SCOUTING REPORT

Hader experienced a meteoric rise after being a 19th-round pick of the Orioles in 2012 who was traded a year later to the Astros in a package for Bud Norris. By the time the Brewers acquired him in 2015, it was as one of three prime prospects in exchange for Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers.

Hader is a low-slot lefthander in the mold of Chris Sale who slings more than throws the ball from a low three-quarters arm slot. He’s been up to 97 mph in the past, but most recently has been sitting 91-92 mph and topping out at 95 with his fastball. Hader also possesses a sharp breaking slider that is his out pitch. While his delivery creates plenty of deception, it also causes him trouble staying on top of the ball and repeating his mechanics, resulting in bouts of wildness. Hader also has never been able to consistently master his changeup because of his delivery, limiting his effectiveness a third time though the order against advanced hitters. Because of those issues, Hader has averaged nearly five walks per nine innings in his career at Triple-A and profiles best as a reliever for many evaluators.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Whether Hader starts or relieves in his first big league stint has yet to be revealed. He has the stuff to be a dominant left-on-left situational reliever right away, and many evaluators believe that’s what his long-term role in the majors will eventually be.