Colorado Rockies: Where does Jeff Hoffman fit into the 2019 plans?

Colorado Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman made his 2019 spring debut on Saturday to the tune of a 97-mph fastball.

Jeff Hoffman threw two innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks and allowed a hit and struck out one. In 30 pitches, the 26-year-old showed everyone what we already knew … his stuff is electric and can make a big impact for the Colorado Rockies.

The gas or his devastating curveball have never been in question … but the 2014 first-rounder’s control has been. It’s the reason why he ended his third partial season in the bigs, 2018, with just 8.2 innings complete while being charged nine runs to his name — mainly due to seven walks.

This was in stark contrast to his 2017 season where he threw just under 100 innings with a barely sub-6.00 ERA. This might not sound great, but it was highlighted by a four-start stretch that saw Hoffman throw 25 innings and allow a sick four runs, propelling his club to a win in each appearance.

The midseason Hoffman from 2017 was the one the Rockies thought they were getting when they acquired the New York native from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Troy Tulowitzki trade. Since those few starts, he’s bounced back and forth from Triple-A and the bullpen. In a very small amount of time, the bullpen experiment has been a blunder and the highly talented pitcher seems bored by the mound in Albuquerque.