Houston Astros Closer Aiming for Dominance with New Changeup Development

Josh Hader doesn’t seem to be satisfied with being one of the best closers in the game. The Houston Astros closer wants to be un-hittable and is working on a third pitch.

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

Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader had a rough outing on Sunday, giving up two earned runs in one inning against the Washington Nationals. He walked two batters and allowed a home run to Paul De Jong, marking his struggles during the appearance.

However, the numbers may not fully reflect his performance, as Hader was developing his changeup. The pitch was the seventh in De Jong’s at-bat, a strategy for Hader to expand his arsenal against right-handed hitters.

Notably, all twelve home runs Hader surrendered in 2024 have come from righties. Hader reported that he threw about five changeups during his inning of work, contrasting sharply with the 12 changeups he threw throughout all of 2024. This indicates that Sunday was more of a developmental inning than a standard outing.

Over the course of his career, Hader has always had wide splits, pertaining to right-handed hitters having success off him more often than left-handed hitters. It’s no secret that his nasty slider coupled with his 10:00 arm angle are murderous on hitters, especially left-handed hitters.

When right-handed hitters are getting to Hader, they are doing damage.

When asked about his splits, Hader said, “I need that pitch to be able to play on the other side of the plate, so it just gives hitters less chance to eliminate a certain side of the plate.”

The potential addition of a reliable change-up could transform Hader from an already dominant closer into an unhittable one. A well-executed changeup can mimic a fastball's spin and release, making it a valuable pitch for keeping hitters off balance.

“It’s pretty apparent that guys are hunting the heater against him, trying to get out there early and get the barrel out,” Astros pitching coach Josh Miller said. “He’s got a special fastball, he’s got unique characteristics. But if major league hitters can hunt one pitch and try to be on it, they’re going to time it up eventually. So having additional options to keep them honest is a big thing.”

This isn’t a new challenge for Hader. He has been working on his changeup since his rookie year with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017. The question remains - with one of the league’s best sliders and fastballs, does he have enough confidence in his third pitch to risk throwing it with the game on the line?

That’s what spring training is for. Hader needs to build confidence in the changeup, even if it’s simply to make right-handed hitters think the 12-6 spin might be an 88 mph changeup rather than a 98 mph fastball.

So, fans should take Hader’s March numbers with a grain of salt. These games don’t count, and if converting 34 of 38 save opportunities constitutes a down year, the Astros’ bullpen remains solid in the late innings.