[vetting82]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

Great topic, OP.

There aren't many options at #71, but I will respectfully argue that Josh Hader should take that spot over Wade Davis, based upon the following facts:

1- Both players have worn #71 for the same period of time--2017-2021--and Hader has been the superior player by far in that time frame.

2- To be fair, Davis has had a good 13-year career, with 3 All Star nods, an NL saves crown, and a World Series win. But his period of true dominance (which includes two of those three All Star nods and the WS win) occurred when he was with the Royals, wearing #17. Since he left the Royals and began wearing #71, he has one All Star nod and the NL saves crown, as well as more total saves than Hader in the same time frame (93 vs. 69), but he also has 2 seasons with ERAs over 8.00, not including the current season, in which his ERA is again over 8.00 as of this writing.

3- In the same 5-year period of wearing #71 (his entire major league career so far), Hader has 2 All Star nods, an NL saves crown, 2 NL Reliever of the Year awards, and a spot on MLB's inaugural All-MLB 1st team as the (only) Relief Pitcher (2019). The same year that Davis led the NL in saves (2018), Hader was selected as the NL Reliever of the Year. The difference in saves is accounted for by differences in usage: Hader was a late-inning fireman who racked up holds rather than saves in his first couple years. He leads Davis in holds from 2017-2021, 39 to 1.

Maybe it's fair to say that Hader has to play a little longer before he could be named the best ever #71, but his competition is not super tough, and he's done everything he can in terms of dominance in the time he has played so far. My 2 pennies!

Came here to say the same thing - of course I'm a little biased being a Hader supercollector.