5 years agoSince 2010, only one closer in baseball has maintained a better strikeout rate than Josh Hader’s 47.6%, and that was Craig Kimbrel in 2012 and 2017. During that 2012 to 2018 window, Kimbrel was the most dominant and valuable closer in fantasy baseball. Josh Hader has entered that window of his career. Still only 25 years old, Hader offers value comparable to an SP2. For three seasons, he has maintained a .85 WHIP, 2.62 ERA, 44.6 K%, and a .240 xwOBA. Current pitching trends, have muddied the value of closers, but elite closers, like Hader are more valuable than ever. Certainly, Corey Knebel’s return will pose some concerns about whether Hader continues to earn all available saves. However, given his strikeout potential and extraordinary ratios, Hader’s floor is as high as any reliever in baseball. Even Steamer’s conservative projections give him 28 saves for 2020. Despite anxieties about drafting an early closer, owners can feel confident taking Hader at his current ADP (68). He may not outperform the starters being taken in that range (Zack Greinke, Tyler Glasnow, and Noah Syndergaard), but he'll return positive value and give fantasy owners a positional advantage over every other reliever. Injury is always possible, but Hader offers both the highest floor and ceiling of any reliever in the game. Owners can rely on an ERA below 3.00, a WHIP below 1.00, 30 saves, and more than 100 strikeouts.--David Emerick