The Toronto Blue Jays were only three outs away from winning Game 7 of the World Series when All-Star closer Jeff Hoffman took the mound up 4-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hoffman struggled throughout his first season in Toronto, posting a 4.37 ERA in 71 regular-season appearances, his worst since 2021, but turned things up for the postseason. The 33-year-old closer returned to form in the playoffs, but flopped when it mattered most, allowing a game-tying home run to Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning, which would lead to a 5-4 Blue Jays loss.
Hoffman has dealt with the guilt of the Blue Jays’ loss since, still blaming himself for it, but promised that he will have a rebound season in 2026.
“I cost everybody in here a World Series ring,” Hoffman said, per SportsNet’s Shi Davidi on Monday. “It’s my job. When I come in, the game is supposed to be over. Obviously, it stings more when it’s in a spot like that, but it stings all through the year. There were a lot of times last year I felt the same exact (responsibility). But when I come into the game, that’s what they pay me to do, to shut it down and to make sure we walk out of there with a win. When you don’t do it, I take those chips and I don’t take them lightly. I carry them with me and it drives you to be better the next time out. It just comes with the job.
“Obviously the good times are the highest of the highs, and the bad times are lowest of the lows. It didn’t surprise me that’s the way it was — I just didn’t perform the way I wanted a lot of the season. I got more comfortable and I think that showed in the post-season when I was able to turn it back on and do what I had to do through the majority of the post-season. That season will teach me a lot moving forward and I’ll be a better pitcher for us this year.”
Hoffman did step up in the playoffs for Toronto, posting a 1.46 ERA in 10 appearances. The veteran reliever is entering his second year of a three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays, and though those feelings from Game 7 likely won’t fade anytime soon, Hoffman has his eyes set on moving forward.
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