What’s done since has could quite likely land him in a Major League Baseball uniform in the near future.
Hofmann, 21, recently completed his COVID-19-shortened season with the Northwestern State Demons in the Division I Southland Conference, and after putting together one of the best seasons in recent school history was named a Second Team All-American.
And it was utter domination that brought him the honour.
Hofmann – who was drafted in the 35th round, 1,055th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft after a stellar sophomore season at Colby Community College, but opted to join Northwestern State rather than sign a rookie deal – was all but unhittable for the Demons, posting a 4-0 record and not allowing an earned run. His total of 28 scoreless innings was the best in the NCAA. And he didn’t allow a lot of contact, either: Hoffman had at least nine strike-outs an outing, twice fanning 11 while allowing only 14 hits.
That’s led the Canadian Baseball Network to list Hofmann as the sixth-ranked Canadian prospect heading into the 2020 MLB Draft, which he opted to re-enter after not signing with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“A right-hander with a three-pitch mix and a fluid delivery with over-the-top arm action,” Hoffman is described as having by Prospects Live. “His change up flashed above-average with some nice tumble and run. It was an effective offering, stealing strikes from left-handed hitters to his arm side. His curve ball has 11-5 break with some twist at the end. The curve ball was his best swing-and-miss pitch. Overall a decent pitch mix, good mechanics and a pair of good secondaries make Hoffman a legit bullpen option in pro ball, even if he’s below average size and lacks huge fastball velocity.”
As a freshman out of Colby in 2018, the Muenster native suited up for eight regular-season games with the Miller Express, posting a 4-1 record and striking out 21 against eight walks and only six hits.
The following summer Hofmann played with Falmouth in the prestigious Cape Cod League, going 3-0 with a 3.37 ERA while striking out 22, walking seven and giving up only 11 hits.
Hofmann is also ranked 477th in Baseball America’s Top 500 combined high schoolers and collegians as of May 8; 235th on Perfect Game’s combined list as of May 24 and the 10th ranked Southland Conference prospect according to D1Baseball.com.
