The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t been perfect this season, and one key pitcher has had his ups and downs. John Schneider spoke highly of the 32-year-old after he blew his fourth save of the season. This time, it was against the Chicago White Sox, a team that sits at 25-53 with a sub .333 winning percentage.
John Schneider Backs Up Jeff Hoffman After Another Blown Save
Hoffman has 17 saves, which puts him tied for eighth in the league. Four players have 18 saves, with Carlos Estevez, the MLB leader, having 22 saves. Of the seven pitchers ahead of him, Hoffman’s 32.1 innings are tied for the fifth most, but a large margin gives him the most earned runs. The right-hander has given up 20 runs (five more than second place) and 19 earned runs (six more than second place).
His 44 strikeouts are good for second place, only behind Josh Hader, and he has only given up 10 walks. There are some redeeming qualities for Hoffman, but the glaring issues remain. No matter what his numbers or recent appearances might show, Schneider had nothing but good things to say about the team’s closer.
“We trust the s*** out of Jeff Hoffman. I do,” Schneider said. “It’s easy to point blame at him, but he’s been on the other side of us winning a whole lot of games. It’s a tough stretch for him, but we know he’ll come out of it.”
John Schneider on Jeff Hoffman:
“We trust the shit out of Jeff Hoffman. I do. It’s easy to point blame at him, but he’s been on the other side of us winning a whole lot of games. It’s a tough stretch for him, but we know he’ll come out of it.” #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 22, 2025
Hoffman has six wins, more than the seven players ahead of him in total saves — the two pitchers with the most saves have zero wins this season. However, a pitcher’s win-loss record can be deceiving, as evident by the seasons of Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller.
A 5.29 ERA is less than ideal for a team’s top closer, as the next closest among the top pitchers is Robert Suárez’s 3.62. This is Hoffman’s first season with the Blue Jays, with his ERA being the highest since his final season in Colorado in 2020. After a pair of phenomenal ERAs (2.41 and 2.17) with the Philadelphia Phillies, Hoffman has already given up more earned runs than he has since 2021.
Hoffman has started 50 games in his career, but he hasn’t started since 2022. In the past few years, he’s been shifted to the bullpen, with this being his first full season as a team’s top closer. Schneider has a ton of confidence in a man who’s blown 10 games in his past four seasons, four of those 10 being in 2025 alone.