Hoffman earned the save in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Athletics, allowing one hit and no walks with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning.
Hoffman was called upon to protect a three-run lead in the ninth and threw nine of 10 pitches for strikes to slam the door. It was a nice rebound after the 33-year-old blew his first save chance Friday, and he's racked up six punchouts through two appearances this season.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Blows Opening Day save chance
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Hoffman (1-0) blew the save but came away with the win in Friday's game against the Athletics. He allowed one run on one hit while striking out four across one inning.
Hoffman was deployed in the ninth inning to preserve the Blue Jays' 2-1 lead. He struck out the first batter he faced before yielding a solo home run to Shea Langeliers. Hoffman struck out each of the next three batters faced (one reached base on a wild pitch), and he ended up coming away with the win after Andres Gimenez drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame. It wasn't the start to the season that Hoffman was hoping for, especially given that he blew the save opportunity in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers in November. He's still considered the Blue Jays' closer, but guys like Yimi Garcia (elbow) and Louis Varland could get save opportunities if Hoffman can't get the job done this season.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Plans to ease back on fastball
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Hoffman plans to throw his four-seam fastball less often in 2026 while increasing his slider usage, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.
Two years ago with the Phillies, Hoffman threw his slider 47.9 percent of the time and his four-seamer 27.4 percent, and the result was a 2.41 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 33.2 percent strikeout rate over 52.1 innings, as well as a barrel rate allowed in the 99th percentile and a hard-hit rate allowed in the 95th percentile. In 2025, while feeling the weight of a big free-agent contract from the Jays and his first season as a full-time closer, the right-hander tried to attack the zone more often and threw his fastball 37.4 percent of the time, while reducing his slider usage to 29.9 percent. His numbers took a big step backward as a result, highlighted by a first percentile barrel rate allowed and 58th percentile hard-hit rate allowed. A renewed emphasis on his slider, which generated a career-high 47.4 percent whiff rate last season, should help Hoffman regain some of the dominance that slipped away from him.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Receives vote of confidence
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that he's "100 percent confident if [Hoffman] is closing most games," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
GM Ross Atkins said early in the offseason that the Blue Jays weren't committed to using Hoffman as their primary closer in 2026, but it appears that's how the club will enter spring training. Toronto inked submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract during the winter to bolster the bullpen, but he has just three saves across the past four seasons despite consistently working in a high-leverage role and may be better suited for setup work. Hoffman's first season with the Blue Jays in 2025 was an up-and-down affair, as he closed the regular season with a 4.37 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while converting 33 of 40 save chances.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Blows save in Game 7
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Hoffman blew a save against the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two batters over 1.1 innings.
Hoffman entered in the eighth frame with the Blue Jays up 4-3. He got Tommy Edman to ground out to preserve the lead and then struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, but Hoffman then served up a game-tying solo homer to Miguel Rojas. Over three World Series appearances, that long ball was the only run Hoffman yielded across 4.1 frames.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Closes out game, series against NYY
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Hoffman earned the save in Wednesday's win over the Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Division Series. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter over 1.1 innings.
Hoffman was the eighth and final arm to pitch in a bullpen game for the Blue Jays, and while he coughed up a run in the ninth, he ultimately closed the door to send Toronto to the ALCS. While Hoffman was charged with seven blown saves and took seven losses during the regular season, he has allowed just two earned runs in his last 14 appearances dating back to late August, converting all five of his save chances in that span.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Notches 33rd save
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Hoffman collected the save in Friday's 4-2 win over the Rays, allowing two walks but no hits over a scoreless frame. He did not record a strikeout.
Despite issuing two free passes, the Toronto closer wrapped the win on 25 pitches, 14 of which were strikes. This marks the first time Hoffman has walked multiple batters in an outing since Aug. 10, when he granted five free passes in a blown save against the Dodgers. Overall, the righty reliever now sports a 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 84:27 K:BB in 68 innings while converting 33 of 40 save chances.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Collects 32nd save
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Hoffman earned the save in Sunday's 8-5 win over the Royals, allowing one hit and zero walks in a scoreless ninth inning. He did not record a strikeout.
Hoffman got the call to protect the Blue Jays' three-run lead in the ninth. He yielded a double to Mike Yastrzemski, but Hoffman closed things out by getting Bobby Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino to both ground out, and the win clinched the Blue Jays a spot in the postseason. Hoffman has had his struggles this season but has not given up a run in each of his last four outings. He has a 3.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 26.2 innings while converting on 10 of 13 save opportunities since the All-Star break.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Escapes with save
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Hoffman recorded two outs, both by strikeout, to earn a save against the Rays on Tuesday. He gave up a walk and a hit but was not charged with a run.
Hoffman entered a 6-4 game with a runner on third and one out in the ninth inning. The inherited runner scored on an RBI single by Brandon Lowe before Hoffman walked Junior Caminero, but the right-hander rallied to strike out the final two batters he faced. It was Hoffman's 31st save in 38 chances and his first conversion since Sept. 2. He's given up one run over his last 7.2 innings and now owns a 4.64 ERA with an 83:23 K:BB through 64 frames.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Nabs win in 10th inning
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Hoffman (9-6) worked a perfect 10th inning Tuesday to pick up the win in a 4-3 victory over the Astros. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.
The Toronto closer was aided by an impressive defensive play by Vladimir Guerrero that erased the phantom runner, Jose Altuve, at third base for the first out, but Hoffman fired eight of 10 pitches for strikes in an efficient performance before Toronto won it in the bottom of the 10th. Hoffman's had a roller coaster of a season that includes serving up a stunning 14 homers in just 61.1 innings, but he may be finding his peak form at the right time for the Jays -- he's delivered five straight scoreless appearances, allowing three hits and a walk in five innings with three strikeouts.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Blows sixth save
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Hoffman was charged with his sixth blown save of the season Saturday, giving up one run on one hit and one walk in the ninth as the Blue Jays downed the Marlins 7-6 in 12 innings. He struck out one.
Called upon to protect a 4-3 lead, Hoffman issued a leadoff walk to Eric Wagaman, setting Javier Sanoja up to tie the game with a one-out single. It's the first run Hoffman has allowed in August, but he's blown two of five save chances on the month despite a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings thanks to a 12:7 K:BB. He remains two saves shy of his first career 30-save campaign.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Locks down 27th save
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Hoffman earned the save in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Cubs, allowing a hit while striking out three in the ninth inning.
Hoffman worked around Nico Hoerner's one-out single, striking out the final two batters he faced, to earn his 27th save this season. After issuing five walks in just two-thirds of an inning during his last save chance, Hoffman has responded with back-to-back scoreless appearances, allowing just one hit over 1.2 innings. His ERA sits at 4.32 through 50 innings this season with a 1.10 WHIP and 69:16 K:BB.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Blows save, backs into win
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Hoffman (7-4) walked five batters without allowing a hit or recording a strikeout over two-thirds of an inning, taking a blown save and picking up the win Sunday versus the Dodgers.
Hoffman allowed an inherited runner to score the tying run after being brought in with two outs in the eighth inning. Ernie Clement restored the lead for the Blue Jays with a solo home run in the ninth, and Hoffman stayed in the game but struggled again. He may have been rusty after not pitching since Aug. 3, ultimately throwing just 10 of 33 pitches for strikes, but Mason Fluharty was able to work out of the jam to make the lead stick. Hoffman is now 26-for-31 on converting saves this season while posting an uninspiring 4.50 ERA along with a 1.13 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB over 48 innings. He doesn't appear to be at risk of losing the closing job as long as Sunday's poor outing is an isolated incident.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Notches 23rd save
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Hoffman gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his 23rd save of the season in a 6-3 win over the Giants.
After striking out the side Friday in a perfect ninth inning in a non-save situation, Hoffman came back the next day and shut down San Francisco once again. The right-hander has been tagged with earned runs in only one of his last 12 appearances, posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB over 11.1 innings during that stretch while converting six of seven save chances.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Locks down 21st save
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Hoffman earned the save in Thursday's 8-5 win over the Yankees, working around a hit while striking out none in a scoreless ninth inning.
Hoffman's now converted four consecutive save chances while going 7.1 straight innings without allowing an earned run. Overall, the 32-year-old Hoffman is 21-for-25 in save opportunities this season with a 4.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB across 37.1 innings.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Collects 19th save
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Hoffman earned the save in Monday's 5-4 victory over the Yankees, allowing one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Hoffman worked around a two-out Jasson Dominguez single to notch his sixth June save. The Toronto closer wrapped the month with an impressive 1.80 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB across 10 frames after entering June with a dreadful 6.04 ERA in 25.1 innings. Hoffman has certainly rediscovered his All-Star form and is cemented as the Blue Jays closer.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Fans side for save
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Hoffman struck out the side in a perfect inning to earn a save over Boston on Sunday.
Hoffman made quick work of the Red Sox in the ninth inning, punching out the side on 14 pitches to finish the 5-3 win. He's now converted 18 of 22 save chances this season and picked up his first since June 10. Hoffman has produced an impressive 48:10 K:BB through 34.1 innings despite a 4.98 ERA.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Stuck with blown save
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Hoffman took a blown save in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox, allowing one unearned run on a hit and a walk in one-third of an inning.
The Jays turned to Hoffman to protect a one-run lead in the eighth inning with two outs and two runners aboard. He issued a walk to Chase Meidroth, loading the bases, before committing an error on an Andrew Benintendi grounder that allowed the tying run to score. Hoffman subsequently allowed a two-run double to Miguel Vargas, putting Toronto behind for good. It's the fourth blown save for Hoffman this year, though Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports that manager John Schneider doesn't seem inclined to make a change at closer. Overall, Hoffman's converted 17 saves while posting a 5.29 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 44:10 K:BB across 32.1 innings this season.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Winds up with win
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Hoffman (6-2) picked up the win Tuesday against Arizona, allowing one walk with no strikeouts over a scoreless ninth inning.
Hoffman blanked Arizona in the top of the ninth inning while the Blue Jays trailed 4-3, and back-to-back solo homers by Bo Bichette and Addison Barger allowed Hoffman to pick up his sixth victory of the campaign. Hoffman has allowed at least one run in nine of his 32 appearances this season but has converted on 17 of his 20 save opportunities. He holds a 5.62 ERA in 31 innings with an impressive 43:9 K:BB.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Escapes with 17th save
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Hoffman picked up the save in Tuesday's 10-9 win over St. Louis, recording one out after giving up one run in the ninth inning.
Hoffman entered with two runners aboard and two outs in the frame, and he promptly served up a three-run home run to Willson Contreras. The right-hander quickly recovered, however, getting Alec Burleson to ground out on his second and final pitch of the outing for his 17th save this year. Hoffman has struggled mightily in the past month or so -- he has an 11.20 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over his last 13.2 innings -- but the Blue Jays have displayed consistent trust in Hoffman as their closer throughout the campaign.
