Jeff Hoffman

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #3 prospect in 2017
  The key player among the three prospects the Blue Jays sent to the Rockies for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a 2015 deadline deal, Hoffman was Toronto's first pick--ninth overall--in 2014. He had Tommy John surgery shortly before that draft, delaying his pro debut to 2015. He steadily climbed the minor league ladder and made his big league debut in September 2016. Hoffman showed signs of fatigue when he debuted with the Rockies, and he surpassed 150 innings for the first time. During the season he showed a live fastball with sinking life that sits in the 93-96 mph range and reaches 99. Hoffman has an excellent plus curveball but tends to rely on it too much. His slider is a nice secondary breaking pitch, and his changeup is solid. His strikeout rate jumped significantly in the minors, but to keep that up in the big leagues, he has to take better ownership of the inner part of the plate and use any on his four pitches without hesitation. Hoffman has a chance to earn a rotation spot in Denver for 2017. With his power and pitch mix, Hoffman should grow in a solid mid-rotation starter with an inner confidence that bodes well for his success at Coors Field.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #4 prospect in 2016
  The ninth overall pick in 2014 by the Blue Jays, Hoffman served as the prospect centerpiece in the Troy Tulowitzki trade in July. He had Tommy John surgery just before the draft and did not pitch after signing. A year later, Hoffman made his pro debut at high Class A Dunedin and earned a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire in July. He finished the season at Double-A New Britain after his trade to the Rockies, showcasing the stuff that had made him the Blue Jays' No. 3 prospect in the preseason. Before surgery, Hoffman touched 99 mph, and he returned to that velocity in 2015, when he sat 93-96. He throws a heavy two-seamer with plus movement, showing bat-breaking ability and generating groundballs--which could suit him well for Coors Field. He adds a plus, power curveball in the low 80s that flashes double-plus, a mid-80s changeup with plus potential and a slider that could at least be an average pitch. Hoffman still is learning how to pitch inside and use his weapons. He struck out just 6.5 batters per nine innings in 2015, but his control projects as plus. Before the trade, the Blue Jays tinkered with his mechanics to take pressure off of his arm. His delivery is generally fluid and repeatable thanks to his athleticism. The Rockies will closely monitor Hoffman's health in 2016, which he will begin at Double-A Hartford and could finish at Triple-A Albuquerque. He has No. 2 starter potential.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #3 prospect in 2015
  Hoffman was a lean, projectable righthander from upstate New York who went undrafted out of high school, but multiple teams tried to sign him in the summer before his freshman year. Hoffman's last start in college was in April when he struck out a career-high 16 in front of multiple GMs picking in the top five before undergoing Tommy John surgery in early May. Hoffman is a premium athlete with the stuff, body and athleticism to profile in the front half of a rotation. His fastball sits 93-96 mph, touching 98 with the ball jumping from his hand. Hoffman's two-seamer has at least plus life with heavy, bat-breaking sink and arm-side run to get groundballs. His drop-and-drive delivery works easy with natural fluidity and a loose arm. He offers a true downer curveball with at least plus potential that flashes plusplus. Hoffman offers feel for a changeup that improved significantly over the last year and also has at least plus potential, flashing a full grade better. He also mixed in a mid-80s slider with at least average potential. He fills up the zone and projects to have at least plus control. Hoffman's surgery prevented him from playing after signing but he is throwing from flat ground this fall and will likely be back in game action around midseason. Few starters in the minors can match his upside. Injured Did not play

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #13 prospect in 2014 draft
  Scouts in the Northeast recall Hoffman as an athlete with some projection who was not ready for professional baseball, with a mid- to upper-80s fastball. He made good on his East Carolina commitment, and three years later, he could become the highest-drafted player in program history despite requiring Tommy John surgery in mid-May. Hoffman has a premium pitcher's body at 6-foot-4, 192 pounds, with twitchy athletic ability, and his stuff has grown with his body. He broke out in the Cape Cod League, where he ranked as the No. 1 prospect last summer, and pitched well in front of a large scouting crowd at Virginia in February 2014 in his second start. He was having an uneven season until mid-April, when he struck out a career-best 16 in eight one-hit innings against Middle Tennessee State. It was his last start prior to surgery, though. At his best, Hoffman's athletic body, electric fastball and ability to maintain his velocity evoke Justin Verlander. His fastball sits from 92-96 mph, reaching 97-98, and his two-seamer features above-average sink, life and arm-side run. His changeup and curveball both flash plus, with the changeup being more consistent. He also throws a slider, which usually earns average grades. Hoffman appeared poised to be one of the first seven players drafted, but his late arm injury and surgery cloud his immediate draft future. His athleticism and elite velocity still portend a rosy future if he returns to health, and a team with extra picks will likely take a shot at him.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #5 prospect in 2016
  The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Blue Jays, Hoffman had Tommy John surgery in May of his draft year and didn't pitch the summer he turned pro. Toronto included him as the top prospect they sent to the Rockies to acquire Troy Tulowitzki at the 2015 trade deadline. Hoffman has reached 99 mph with his power fastball in the past, but he pitched at 93-94 mph in the PCL and then hit 97 in the big leagues following his Aug. 20 callup. He owns a power low-80s curveball that rates as plus, and he also is able to mix in a change-of-pace slider. Hoffman's potential as a top-of-the rotation workhorse depends on the development of his changeup, which has improved in its consistency and has the potential to be a plus offering. A good athlete, Hoffman ranked second in the PCL with 124 strikeouts, and his ability to induce ground balls furthers his standing as a potential frontline starter for the Rockies.
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  Ranked Florida State League #5 prospect in 2015
  The key piece the Blue Jays leveraged in their trade with the Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki, Hoffman has a pitch all clubs covet but none as much as Colorado. His high-90s fastball has tremendous life, sitting in the 94-96 mph range, and he hit 99 in his first start back from Tommy John surgery. The pitch has tremendous run and good sink and induces plenty of weak early contact, while his four-seamer has life up in the zone. Hoffman complements his fastball with a hard, plus curveball and a changeup that scrapes 90 mph. While his change could be too firm and his command was spotty, scouts believe Hoffman can improve them with innings and experience, for he's athletic and shows the ability to make adjustments. Despite his loud stuff, Hoffman won't be a strikeout pitcher until he learns to pitch inside more and back hitters off the plate. Currently, he's content to get early-count outs.
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  Ranked Eastern League #5 prospect in 2015
  The Blue Jays used Hoffman as the headlining prospect in the deal with the Rockies that brought Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto. The 2014 first-round pick spent the first six weeks of the season recovering from the Tommy John surgery he had before being drafted ninth overall. When Hoffman returned to action at New Hampshire, he almost immediately reminded everyone why the Blue Jays risked their first-round selection on him. Now healthy, he's shown a power fastball in the mid-90s with plus movement. Add in a power curveball that peaks in the low 80s and a mid-80s changeup that also projects as above-average and you have the makings of a future No. 2 starter. That ceiling becomes more realistic as Hoffman sharpens his command as he moves farther away from surgery.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #36 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #68 prospect in 2016
• Ranked Baseball America's #69 prospect in 2015

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The key player among the three prospects the Blue Jays sent to the Rockies for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a 2015 deadline deal, Hoffman was Toronto's first pick--ninth overall--in 2014. He had Tommy John surgery shortly before that draft, delaying his pro debut to 2015. He steadily climbed the minor league ladder and made his big league debut in September 2016. Scouting Report: Hoffman showed signs of fatigue when he debuted with the Rockies, and he surpassed 150 innings for the first time in 2016. At his best during the season he showed a live fastball with sinking life that sits in the 93-96 mph range and reaches 99. Hoffman has an excellent plus curveball but relies on it too much. His slider is a nice secondary breaking pitch, and his changeup is solid. His strikeout rate jumped significantly in the minors, but to keep that up in the big leagues, he has to take better ownership of the inner part of the plate and be willing to use any of his four pitches without hesitation.Home runs are a concern afte he allowed seven in 31.1 innings in his ML debut, although that was not an issue for him in the minors. The Future: Hoffman has a chance to earn a rotation spot in Denver for 2017. With his power and pitch mix, Hoffman should grow in a solid mid-rotation starter.