Astros' Josh Hader Earns AL Pitcher of the Month for 9th Time

Josh Hader earned the AL Reliever of the Month award for August, not allowing a run all month long. It was Hader’s ninth reliever of the month award and third while pitching for the Houston Astros. He is perfect in save opportunities in 2026 and has an incredible 0.72 ERA.

Hader battled injuries all offseason and was on the injured list by the time the season started. That forced the Astros to use Bryan Abreu in the closer role early in the season. Abreu struggled mightily as a closer.

He had a 6.87 ERA before Hader even appeared in a game and just three saves. Abreu was out of the closer role by mid-May, and the Astros used a closer-by-committee approach, with Bryan King and Enyel De Los Santos earning some save opportunities.

Return From Injured List

Hader came back on June 2 and earned a save in his first appearance. In total, he has pitched 37.1 innings in 38 games. His ERA of 0.72 is the best among those with at least 37 innings in the majors. The next closest is Louis Varland of the Toronto Blue Jays who has posted a 1.18 ERA.

Hader’s WHIP of .670 is also tops for those with 37 innings. He leads second-place Jacob Latz of the Rangers, who has a 0.742 WHIP. Hader’s sample size is smaller than a lot of the players he’s competing with in these categories, but the numbers still hold up.

Save Streak

Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) pitches in the ninth inning. — Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hader is also on a save streak that dates back to 2025. In total, the streak stands at 25 consecutive saves converted. Last time out, Hader was perfect in a two-run ballgame, keeping the tying run from coming to the plate.

Hader has given up a hit in just nine of his 38 appearances, an incredible feat. Hader’s worst performance of the season came on July 12 in a tie game, a non-save situation. The Astros closer allowed a run to score in the ninth inning of the contest and earned his only loss of the season.

Scoreless Streak

Josh Hader (71) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels — Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader (71) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Astros have a 32-6 record in games that Hader has pitched in. He also hasn’t allowed a run since July 20 and that includes an inning with the automatic runner starting on second in the 10th inning. Since that date, he has cut his ERA in half from 1.56 to its current 0.72 mark.

Hader is the difference in the Astros leading the division or being on the outside looking in in the playoff race. He is pitching just like the pitcher the Astros signed to the team’s largest free agent pitching contract in history (5 years, 95 million). With Hader locking down the ninth inning, the Astros are in a prime position to stay atop the division.

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