Trevor Hoffman: San Diego Padres’ most hidden gem
Trevor Hoffman is San Diego Padres’ hidden gem, overshadowed by a Yankees’ great.
San Diego Padres retired closer, Trevor Hoffman, quietly collected 601 career regular season MLB saves, second to only New York Yankees’ legend Mariano Rivera (652).
Playing in a small market such as San Diego will allow you to slip through the cracks on a national level — unless your name is Tony Gwynn or Dave Winfield.
As an opposing team, if you heard this song blaring over the speakers in San Diego, you were in serious trouble.
Trevor Hoffman had one of the best seasons not only for a starting pitcher but a hurler in general, in 1998, where he was snubbed by the National League Cy Young voters in the process.
He converted 53 saves in 54 appearances, helping Mr. Padre Tony Gwynn guide the San Diego Padres to their second World Series appearance in team history.
He was more than just a flash in the pan, having a career that rivaled the more notable and recognizable Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees.
Speaking of the Yankees’ elite arm, what if I told you that Trevor Hoffman was nearly as good as Mariano Rivera? Now that I’ve let the dust settle from that bomb, let’s see how this is possible.
It’s often times those hidden gems, such as Trevor Hoffman, get overlooked by another dominant player within the same era, due to their national brand, which the Padres lack in comparison.
Trevor Hoffman was the Rivera of the National League, so let’s see how he measures up to the Yankees’ Hall of Famer.
New York Yankees HOF closer, Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera played on five World Series championship teams, and in his illustrious 19-year career, only missing the playoffs in two seasons. He was flat out dominating, with his accomplishments speaking for themselves. His wicked, nasty cut fastball had much to do with all of this success.
- 5-time World Series champion (1996, 1998–2000, 2009)
- 13-time American League All-Star (1997, 1999–2002, 2004–2006, 2008–2011,
- 2013)
- World Series MVP (1999)
- ALCS MVP (2003)
- 5-time American League Rolaids Relief Man Award (1999, 2001, 2004–2005, 2009).
- 3-time Delivery Man of the Year (2005–2006, 2009)
- American League Comeback Player of the Year (2013)
- 3-time MLB saves leader (1999, 2001, 2004)
- New York Yankees #42 retired
- MLB record for career saves (652)
In 140 postseason innings pitched, Mariano Rivera allowed fewer than one run per nine innings.
If you think these accolades are good, his career statistics are even more impressive.
- Career Win-loss record: 82–60
- Career ERA: 2.21
- Career Strikeouts: 1,173
- Career Saves: 652
- WHIP: 1.00
His postseason success was even better, somehow — 8-1 record/ 0.70 ERA/.76 WHIP/110 K’s to only 22 BB in141 postseason innings.
Rivera was also perfect in his final All-Star game, which put an exclamation on his illustrious career with a bang. In his final appearance at Yankee Stadium, Rivera could not handle all of the emotion, breaking down in tears as he left the mound.
The only “blemish” on Rivera’s resume was inflicted by the Boston Red Sox. If you take away his stats against Boston, they would be even more microscopic.
During his final season in 2013, Rivera blew a save against the Sox late in the season, knocking the Yankees out of playoff contention, missing the postseason for the only second time in his career in the pinstripes.
His 2.86 regular-season ERA vs. Boston…1.25 WHIP rank well beneath his career norms… .644 OPS Red Sox hitters have managed is the second best of any team Mo’s faced.
David Ortiz was the main culprit for Rivera’s inflated numbers against the Red Sox — 342/.375/.500.
Collectively, the Red Sox have knocked Rivera around for 18 blown saves, including the MLB postseason.
The most memorable was in the 2004 ALCS, with the series clincher hanging in the balance for the Yankees, who ended up blowing that 3-0 series lead, sparked by Rivera’s blown save in game four.
Even with his struggles against the hated rivals of the Yankees, Mariano Rivera still reigns supreme as the best closer in American League history.
Does his resume hold up against the National League, against the likes of Lee Smith or Trevor Hoffman?
San Diego Padres, Trevor Hoffman: The other Mr. Padre
We can’t discuss elite closers without mentioning Lee Smith first. He paved the way for the modern day MLB closer — who still ranks third on the all-time saves list (478), trailing only Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.
Hoffman and Adam Wainwright are the only two pitchers to ever receive the most first-place votes and not win the Cy Young.
How is Lee Smith not in the Hall Fame? We need to start a ballot on getting the pioneer of relief pitching into the MLB Hall of Fame. However, his case is a story for a different time.
Anyways, back to San Diego Padres former stopper Trevor Hoffman.
Previously mentioned, Trevor Hoffman ranks second on the MLB all-time saves list, behind only Mariano Rivera.
Unlike the New York Yankees, the San Diego Padres only made four postseason appearances during his time in So-Cal.
- San Diego Padres No. 51 retired
- San Diego Padres Hall of Fame
- 4- Playoff Appearances/National League West titles (1996, 1998, 2005, 2006)
- World Series Appearance (1998)
- 7-time National League All-Star (1998–2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009)
- 2-time National League Rolaids Relief Man Award (1998, 2006)
- 2-time National League saves leader (1998, 2006)
- Career Win-loss record: 61–75
- Career Win ERA: 2.87
- Career WHIP: 1.06
- Strikeouts: 1,133
- Saves: 601
Of those postseason berths, only one resulted in a World Series appearance, compared to Rivera’s 17 appearances (with five World Series titles). Rivera had more opportunities than Hoffman. Plain and simple.
Who knows what Hoffman would have done, on a team as dominate as the New York Yankees.
Trevor Hoffman’s postseason stats were adequate –1-2/3.86 ERA/1.23 WHIP, but nowhere near as stout as Rivera’s. Granted, Hoffman did have a smaller sample size than the Yankee.
In 1998, Hoffman was just the fourth MLB reliever to close out 50 saves (53) and an unreal 1.48 ERA, tying the National League single-season saves record by Randy Meyers.
Opponents had a .165 batting average against Hoffman, and his ERA in save situations was a microscopic 0.49.
He also K’d 10.6 hitters per nine innings, where the San Diego Padres were also 62–4 in games that he pitched that elite season.
Somehow, Hoffman finished second in the National League Cy Young Award votes, runner-up to Hall of Famer Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves.
Hoffman received 13 first-place votes, with Glavine securing only 11 of those elections, with the Padre somehow being absent from six ballots, costing him the award.
If Hoffman were a Yankee or part of a sexy, brand name MLB team, he would have won the 1998 Cy Young award. Easily. His omission from that honor is a travesty and almost as much of a black-eye as the “Steroid Era.”
Hoffman also did not remain a San Diego Padre his entire career, like Mariano Rivera did with the New York Yankees.
So, the edge of all-time greats easily goes to Rivera, but Hoffman was closer to the Yankees’ greatness than most people believe.
Trevor Hoffman is definitely the second greatest of all-time at the back-end of the bullpen, where he deserves to be a shoe-in and first ballot HOF player. Naturally, Hoffman has now been on the ballot twice and overlooked.
Since he played in San Diego, it may take the “committee” a while to wise up. Hopefully, a third time is a charm for Trevor Hoffman.
Meeting the other Mr. Padre, Trevor Hoffman
I was able to meet Trevor Hoffman, like my other childhood hero, who also happens to be a San Diego Padre — Tony Gwynn.
Growing up, I was a hardcore San Diego Padres fan until I moved to Missouri during my freshmen year of high school. Before the social media era, it was difficult — even impossible — to keep up with the San Diego Padres, so I converted into a St. Louis Cardinals fanboy.
Ironically, the San Diego Padres were playing the St. Louis Cardinals at the old “Jack Murphy Stadium”, now known as Qualcomm, in a game during the early 1990s, when I just a youngster.
Before Trevor Hoffman turned legend, he was hanging out signing autographs for fans, which he continued to do until his entire career.
One of my prized possessions. A signed baseball from @MLB great, #TrevorHoffman pic.twitter.com/ZiPI7k7nLD
— SkyGuy (@skyguy_1984) December 4, 2017
I remember tossing my baseball down to him, but before he obliged to my demands, he asked one thing; that I remembered my P’s and Q’s. I, of course, obliged and he signed my now cherished collectible.
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After Trevor Hoffman rose from the ranks and became an MLB great, I made sure to hang on to this prized possession, which I still have to this very day.
Both Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman are both two of the greatest men — and MLB players — not only of the San Diego Padres but in the history of the game.
Hoffman deserves to join Tony Gwynn in the MLB Hall of Fame, both class acts on and off the field — RIP Mr. Padre.
Even though Hoffman falls just short of Mariano Rivera, he is the greatest closer in National League history, doing so on a team with fewer assets and publicity than the Bronx Bombers.
Next: Tony Gwynn: Mr. Padre’s legend and legacy in San Diego
If the San Diego Padres were to have a second Mr. Padre, Trevor Hoffman would be the man for the job. Hopefully, we will hear his name called as a 2018 MLB Hall of Fame inductee, where he deserves to be among the Cooperstown elite.