‘My stuff hasn’t been this good since I left college’: How Jeff Hoffman improved at 30

When Jeff Hoffman was told he would face Bryce Harper at Citizens Bank Park in late April, he was excited. He knew it wouldn’t be an extended stay with the Phillies. He had one job: to show Harper some live pitching as he worked his way back from the injured list. It would last just a few at-bats. But nevertheless, Hoffman saw an opportunity.

He had added muscle in the offseason, and his velocity ticked up as a result. He’d also dropped his walk rate down significantly, thanks to some work with his pitching coaches at triple-A Lehigh Valley. This was a chance for him to show the progress he had made.

The last time Hoffman faced Harper, in 2016, it did not go well. He was a rookie right-hander for Colorado who had been picked ninth overall by Toronto in the 2014 draft. It was his second big league start. In the Washington half of the first inning, Harper hit a 103.6 mph double off him, two batters after former Phillie Jayson Werth homered. Hoffman finished his six innings that night having allowed three earned runs on six hits and four walks that night at Nationals Park.

When Harper stepped in box against Hoffman seven years later, he saw a different pitcher — and he told him that.

“After we were done, he told me, ‘That was different from what I remember,’” Hoffman said. “It made me think that maybe it is different. Maybe it’s better.”

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The Phillies weren’t just watching Harper that day. They were watching Hoffman, too, and they liked what they saw. They called him up 13 days later. He’s quickly become a reliable arm to whom manager Rob Thomson can turn for an inning or two. Hoffman, who spent the last two seasons in Cincinnati, has yet to allow an earned run this year in six innings over four relief outings. Walk rate was a concern when the Phillies signed him to a minor league contract in March, but he’s issued just two walks.

He says that’s because of a recent change in mindset. After a tough outing with the IronPigs in early April, his pitching coaches, Cesár Ramos and Ryan Buchter, approached him with an idea.

Their message: With your stuff playing the way it is, why are you leaving the strike zone when you don’t have to? Let’s just attack the zone, no matter what the count is, and see where it gets you.

It worked. Instead of trying to get “too nasty,” as Hoffman calls it, and trying to fool hitters out of the zone, he decided to stay in the zone. His walk rate dropped and his strikeout rate rose.

In previous years, Hoffman was hesitant to trust his stuff. His four-seam fastball averaged just 94 mph in 2022. His slider averaged 81 mph. He was a lot more hittable. But after changing his strength routine, his velocity has ticked up. Hoffman is now averaging 97.6 mph on his four-seamer, 87.7 mph on his slider, and 90.9 mph on his splitter.

The Rockies optioned Hoffman to triple-A and recalled him back to the big leagues 25 times over five seasons, before trading him to Cincinnati. He was plagued by shoulder and forearm injuries there, and signed a minor league contract with Minnesota in late February. He was released by the Twins in late March, which was when the Phillies picked him up.

It hasn’t been easiest path. But at age 30, Hoffman says he is feeling as good as he ever has in his professional career.

“My stuff hasn’t been this good since I left college,” said the former East Carolina ace. “But when I was in college, that is what I would do. I would throw everything in the zone and it would be like, ‘I’m better than you, and I’m going to prove that I’m better than you, because you’re going to swing and miss all day.

“It feels good to get back to that. It’s been something we’ve struggled with and been searching for, for a while. It’s nice to finally see some results and obviously I’m back in the big leagues — which has stemmed from all of this. It’s been awesome.”

First baseman Darick Hall (torn thumb ligament) is making “great progress” in his rehab, according to Thomson. He is hitting on the field, hitting off the HitTrax machine, taking ground balls, running and throwing. Thomson said he’s getting close to a rehab stint, but will have to see some live pitching first. Hall will be eligible to be activated off the injured list on June 5. … Outfielder Cristian Pache (torn right meniscus) is also doing well in his rehab, the manager says, but has no timeline for a return. He is running in the infield, taking ground balls, hitting in the batting cage and hitting on the field. … Right-hander Dylan Covey, claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Saturday, will arrive in Philadelphia on Monday night, when the Phillies start a three-game home series against Arizona. He’ll be active on Tuesday. Thomson said the Phillies haven’t finalized how they’re going to set up their bullpen game on Tuesday, but Covey will take some innings.

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