The Houston Astros made a five-year, $95 million investment in three-time All-MLB First Team relief pitcher Josh Hader. The contract made sense because the three-time National League Reliever of the Year surrendered only eight earned runs over 56.1 innings for the San Diego Padres last year.

However, the Astros are not getting the performance they expect from the five-time Major League Baseball All-Star. To be fair, Hader started the 2024 season lights off, giving up just one earned run in three innings last month.

However, opponents cracked the Hader code when the calendar switched months, starting with the two runs he surrendered to the Toronto Blue Jays on April 2. Five days later, he gave up another run against the Texas Rangers. After three games without surrendering an earned run, Hader gave up four to the Atlanta Braves, setting up a 6-1 Astros loss.

That defeat dropped Houston to 6-12, the worst record in the American League West. Worst yet, Hader already tied his earned runs surrendered total from last season. His earned run average worsened from 3.00 in March to 13.5 in April and 9.39 for the season.

Hader is credited for only one save out of nine games. He struck out 11 batters and surrendered nine hits. His WHIP is also at a career-worst 1.696. Though the start of his 2024 season is terrible, Astros fans hope the unhittable Josh Hader will resurface in their series closer against the Braves on April 17 at 1:10 p.m. Central Time.

-Lance Fernandez