Among the injuries and concerns surrounding the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays, another brewing issue has surfaced. Jeff Hoffman has reached a low point in performance, and the closer role is now in question.

The Blue Jays already have a slight issue on the offensive end. Taking the lead into the ninth inning without strong confidence in securing the win is not the position the club wants to be in. Hoffman’s current output is creating distrust and anxiety in these vulnerable spots due to his inability to make key quality pitches and keep runners off the bases. The right-hander’s current statistical line includes a -0.6 WAR, a 1–2 record, and a 7.71 ERA.

Hoffman has two saves in 10 games and 9 1/3 innings. In his last seven appearances, he’s posted an ERA near 10.00, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits, walking six, and striking out 13.

As painful as these numbers are, will the Blue Jays turn to a new closer option? Or do their pitching and development staff work to uncover the root cause of Hoffman’s decline?

The Blue Jays’ ninth-inning stopper isn’t far off from being successful. When dissecting his blown saves or chaotic innings, it all circles back to one issue: command and free passes.

Ideally, these two issues are linked, and both are currently working against him. The bottom of the eighth inning in Saturday’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks was a disaster. Hoffman entered the game with the score tied 2–2. Ildemaro Vargas led off the inning with a single to center field off a high splitter in the zone. Another elevated pitch to the next hitter also resulted in a single. Ketel Marte then took a free base on four straight balls. Corbin Carroll capitalized on the situation, taking advantage of the free baserunner with a 389-foot home run to left-center. His grand slam was all Arizona needed to win the game.

When analyzing the walk to Marte, there was no real challenge presented. Hoffman failed to touch the strike zone, throwing three splitters and a four-seam fastball—all missing.

Hoffman’s first batter against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 14 also resulted in a five-pitch walk to a non-swinging Sal Frelick. Frelick later stole a base and eventually scored. The Jays’ reliever needs to command his pitches at all costs. The right-hander frequently falls behind in counts, forcing him to throw “get-me-over” pitches in the zone, which often get punished. He consistently misses high in the zone, leading to harder contact and additional baserunners.

Hoffman currently holds a 33.3% hard-hit rate and a 12.5% walk rate—both concerning trends, with the walk rate notably higher than his previous seasons.

The Blue Jays reliever must find a way to hit his spots and induce weaker contact rather than barrels. His velocity remains strong, touching 97 mph, so that is not a concern. Hoffman needs to work low and away, low and in, or inside on the hands. His current misses—high and in, high and away, and middle-middle—are highly vulnerable locations, especially against contact-oriented hitters or those in two-strike approaches.

Manager John Schneider stated, “I’ll take Jeff Hoffman” when discussing the closer situation. This is not the wrong mindset—Hoffman earned the role and still possesses the tools to succeed.

That said, a temporary adjustment may be necessary. Hoffman could benefit from a brief step back from the role to rebuild confidence and refine his command. However, a prolonged removal might hinder his ability to regain rhythm and confidence.

The Blue Jays could turn to Louis Varland, who is capable of handling high-leverage situations. Tyler Rogers can continue in a setup role, while a flexible approach—alternating opportunities between Varland and Hoffman—could also be effective.

Ultimately, these are temporary solutions. The Blue Jays need Hoffman to return to form. He is fully capable of maintaining the closer role—as long as his command improves, he throws more quality strikes, and limits free passes.

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