Tuesday night was an important night for not just the Toronto Blue Jays, but for their closer, Jeff Hoffman. The 32-year-old got Cody Bellinger to strike out to send Toronto to their first American League Championship Series in nine years.
Hoffman has had a rollercoaster of a season. His early hot start to establish himself as the Blue Jays closer diminished in the summer with erratic appearances and blown saves. Hoffman finished the regular season with 33 saves in 40 attempts with an ERA of 4.37. What would be more alarming is allowing 15 home runs, the most by a closer in 2025.