Trevor Hoffman
The changeup was everything. Hoffman threw his signature pitch with such devastating effect that hitters knew it was coming and still couldn't touch it, making him the first reliever to reach 500 saves and finishing with 601.
That 1998 season showcased peak Hoffman — a microscopic 1.48 ERA anchored a Padres team that reached the World Series. His 299 ERA+ that year ranks among the best single seasons by any pitcher, starter or reliever. The numbers tell the story of sustained excellence: a 170 career ERA+ over 18 seasons, with seven All-Star appearances spread across three different decades.
Hoffman redefined what a closer could be in the steroid era, using deception instead of velocity to dominate. His 2.87 career ERA and elite strikeout rate proved that finesse could still play at baseball's highest leverage moments.
Career · Pitching
18 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | SD | 67 | 90.0 | 4 | 6 | 3.90 | 107 | 79 | 1.322 |
| 1994 | SD | 47 | 56.0 | 4 | 4 | 2.57 | 175 | 68 | 1.054 |
| 1995 | SD | 55 | 53.3 | 7 | 4 | 3.88 | 115 | 52 | 1.163 |
| 1996 | SD | 70 | 88.0 | 9 | 5 | 2.25 | 204 | 111 | 0.920 |
| 1997 | SD | 70 | 81.3 | 6 | 4 | 2.66 | 165 | 111 | 1.020 |
| 1998 | SD | 66 | 73.0 | 4 | 2 | 1.48 | 299 | 86 | 0.849 |
| 1999 | SD | 64 | 67.3 | 2 | 3 | 2.14 | 220 | 73 | 0.936 |
| 2000 | SD | 70 | 72.3 | 4 | 7 | 2.99 | 159 | 85 | 0.995 |
| 2001 | SD | 62 | 60.3 | 3 | 4 | 3.43 | 129 | 63 | 1.144 |
| 2002 | SD | 61 | 59.3 | 2 | 5 | 2.73 | 156 | 69 | 1.180 |
| 2003 | SD | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 | 219 | 11 | 1.111 |
| 2004 | SD | 55 | 54.7 | 3 | 3 | 2.30 | 194 | 53 | 0.915 |
| 2005 | SD | 60 | 57.7 | 1 | 6 | 2.97 | 144 | 54 | 1.110 |
| 2006 | SD | 65 | 63.0 | 0 | 2 | 2.14 | 211 | 50 | 0.968 |
| 2007 | SD | 61 | 57.3 | 4 | 5 | 2.98 | 150 | 44 | 1.116 |
| 2008 | SD | 48 | 45.3 | 3 | 6 | 3.77 | 115 | 46 | 1.037 |
| 2009 | MIL | 55 | 54.0 | 3 | 2 | 1.83 | 236 | 48 | 0.907 |
| 2010 | MIL | 50 | 47.3 | 2 | 7 | 5.89 | 69 | 30 | 1.437 |
| Career | 1035 | 1089.1 | 61 | 75 | — | — | 1133 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.