3 Phillies players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2024: Jeff Hoffman
Jeff Hoffman, one of the Philadelphia Phillies' breakout players of the 2023 season, has already started to build his case toward an All-Star season in 2024.
After a Bryce Harper rehab stint catapulted Hoffman into the majors (subscription required), as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey, the 31-year-old has run with the opportunity. In 2023, Hoffman pitched to a 2.41 ERA over 52 1/3 innings, which eventually brought him right into the mix, making him one of the Phillies' most trusted high-leverage relievers down the stretch and into the postseason.
With a lefty-dominant bullpen, Hoffman looks to be the Phillies top right-handed arm alongside long-time Phillie Seranthony Domínguez. Early into this young season, the former Rockie and Red has already entered games on multiple occasions where he either faced the heart of the lineup or was tasked with wiggling out of a jam created by the previous pitcher.
Across his nine spring training outings and three so far in the regular season, Hoffman hasn't allowed an earned run. He has pitched 10 2/3 innings, striking out 15 of 42 batters, and only walking three. For a player who had jumped between the bullpen and the rotation in the other organizations he had been a part of, the difference looks night and day.
While his splitter has always been his knockout punch, the increased reliance on sliders allowed him to better use his fastball to set hitters up for the splitter resulting in positive run values for each of his pitches, including a plus-nine run value on the slider.
As volatile as relievers typically are, Hoffman has been a rock for manager Rob Thomson out of the bullpen so far. If he can stay on track, there's no way they can keep him off the All-Star game roster in 2024.