They are arguably the best starting pitcher and closer in baseball. They combined to throw a no-hitter. They are tight friends off the field. And, for the second straight season, they are all-stars.
Milwaukee Brewers pitchers Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader were named Sunday as representatives of the National League for the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 19.
It is the fourth consecutive selection for Hader, who leads the league with 26 saves and has a 1.88 earned run average, and second in a row for Burnes, whose 2.20 ERA is even better than it was in 2021 when he won the Cy Young award.
“I think that’s one of the greatest honors,” Hader said. “We play this game as hard as we can to be the best that we can, and just to be recognized throughout the league by managers, players, it means a lot. It’s an honor for me to be selected and be able to play in it.”
The all-star week festivities will be especially fun for Burnes and Hader considering how close a bond they have formed off the field in recent years. With each having a son born in 2022 – ”first-time all-stars,” Hader joked – this year’s event will take on even more meaning for them.
“Me and Josh have become best friends,” Burnes said. “We both live in Arizona, so we spend time in the offseason together. It’s awesome to see what he’s been doing. For him to have his fourth consecutive all-star appearance is awesome and deserving, as he is one of the best relievers in the game.
“It will be awesome to share that experience with him. Our wives are good friends. Our kids are going to grow up together. It’s just one of those special things that we’ll never forget.”
Hader has developed into the most consistently excellent reliever in baseball. Not only will he be suiting up as an all-star for the fourth year in a row in which the game was held, but he is also in contention to take home the NL’s reliever of the year award at season’s end for the fourth straight non pandemic-shortened season.
In doing so, he has earned the admiration of his friend and fellow award-winner.
“Relief pitching is tough. I still think that’s one of the toughest jobs in the game,” Burnes said. “Not knowing any given day when you’re walking into the clubhouse whether you’re going to pitch that night or not. The starters, we get the luxury of knowing we’re going every fifth day. The position players know the lineup when they come into the clubhouse and if they’re playing or not.
“Relievers, you don’t know what the game is going to be like. You don’t know if you’re going to pitch that day. You don’t know what the score is going to be when you go in that day. Mentally, that’s got to be one of the toughest jobs in the game. And then to be at the top of that position is pretty special.”
Burnes’ own season, meanwhile, is quite comparable to last year’s Cy Young campaign. In some areas, it’s even better. His ERA is down from 2.43 to 2.20; his ERA, which adjusts for the change in the league’s run environment from year-to-year, is up from 172 to 185; and he is on pace to eclipse 200 innings for the first time in his career.
The righthander, however, assessed his first half through a lens of improvement.
“I don’t like to look at the results,” Burnes said. “For me, it’s all about sticking to my process and my routine and how I can execute pitches. Thus far this first half, as far as executing pitches, it’s not near what we did in the first half last year. I definitely think there’s still room to grow.
“That’s obviously the exciting part. Knowing we’re a first place team and the season had gone pretty well up to this point. It’s exciting looking forward to the second half.”
Brewers manager Craig Counsell held a team meeting prior to Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh at American Family Field to announce the news. It was no surprise that either Hader or Burnes made it but there was at least one more teammate the Brewers were hoping to hear called: Devin Williams.
For as good as Hader has been, his setup man has been just as dominant. Williams, entering play Sunday, has a 1.93 ERA and leads the league in holds while striking out 55 over 32 ⅔ innings. He is unscored upon in his last 23 outings with opponents batting just .099 against him in that stretch.
“His stats speak enough,” Hader said. “I think it’s a little hard with the all-star game just being a reliever and not a closer, you don’t really get the recognition as a closer would. But he would be a closer on any team in the league. For him to be there would be a great honor to him and the team.”
There is still room for Williams to be added, though, as players will drop out due to injuries or unavailability over the next week.
“We’ll see what happens in these next few days with guys not being able to compete in it and injuries, whatever it may be,” Burnes said. “Hopefully we get to add him.”
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism