Jeff Hoffman isn’t the closer for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Under manager Rob Thomson, the Phillies have declined to name one pitcher closer, but José Alvarado currently leads the Phillies with 13 saves. However, in each of Hoffman’s last three outings, he’s come in and recorded saves in games where he entered with two-run leads or less, the latest of which came in Friday’s 8-6 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Hoffman isn’t the Phillies closer. But he’s shown the ability to do so if need be. Just like last season he embraced the “garbage man” role of coming into dirty innings and escaping unscathed. Among qualified relievers this season, his 1.5 WAR is second only to Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics, per FanGraphs. There are so many deserving All-Star candidates on the Phillies, so who knows whether Hoffman will ultimately be selected. But if it was based off of merit, Hoffman would be a slam-dunk All-Star.
Last year, Hoffman was one of the best-kept secrets in baseball — a former first-round pick that had caught the Phillies’ eye when showing off a nasty slider in a live batting practice session against a rehabbing Bryce Harper. There’s no secret anymore. Hoffman is going to be a free agent in the offseason, and there are going to be a slew of teams interested in signing him to be their closer.
