Trevor Hoffman's son gets thisclose to closer status

When Trevor Hoffman used to jog in from the bullpen ahead of the ninth inning at home, AC/DC's “Hells Bells” boomed out of the speakers and batters knew they had a tall task ahead of them.

When Wyatt Hoffman, son of the Hall of Famer, took the mound Wednesday night for Single-A Lake Elsinore at The Diamond, the opposition also had a considerable mountain to climb in the form of a 19-0 deficit.

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But perhaps in a callback to the 856 times Trevor finished off a game in his Major League career, Wyatt, a true utility man in the Padres’ system, got to spin his own 1-2-3 ninth-inning frame.

It’s fair to point out Hoffman wasn’t exactly lighting up the radar gun in his third appearance on the hill this season, but he faced three batters and retired them all with a little help from his defense. That Hoffman has taken to the mound in a pinch is no surprise, considering the 25-year-old has appeared at every position sans catcher and first base in 2024.

Lake Elsinore’s considerable lead stemming from a 19-run, 19-hit attack -- including a double by 2024's No. 1 international prospect Leodalis De Vries -- meant Hoffman merely had to settle for a game finished, not a save. But with the Storm zeroing in on a California League South first-half title, they wanted the outs anyway they could get them.

Field-level view of 2024's top-ranked international prospect Leodalis De Vries (@Padres) ripping a double for Single-A @Storm_Baseball.

Five of the 17-year-old's past six hits have gone for extra bases. pic.twitter.com/ZI8FiwCHhE

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 13, 2024