Josh Hader repeats as NL Reliever of the Year

Josh Hader’s season may not have ended the way any of us wanted, but he’s still capping it off by being recognized as the best reliever in the league, winning his second straight Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year award.

If it weren’t for his occasional home run problems, an argument could have been made that Hader’s 2019 was actually better than his historic 2018.

He actually increased his strikeout numbers with a K% of 47.8% this year while also dropping his BB% to a career low 6.9%. While injuries and ineffectiveness dictated he be used as a more traditional closer than his optimal fireman role, Hader still played a large role in getting the Brewers back to the playoffs for a second straight year.

The award also comes at a good time for Hader’s bank account, as he just found out he will be arbitration eligible as a Super Two player, thanks to the cutoff falling on his exact amount of service time.