Andrew Hoffmann joined the Kansas City Royals organization as part of the return for the team’s 2022 Competitive Balance Round draft pick. The trade, which took place in July 2022, sent Hoffmann — along with Drew Waters and CJ Alexander — to Kansas City. Since joining the organization, the results haven’t quite been the same for Hoffmann. After pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA in both of his first pro seasons with the Braves organization, he’s finished each year since with a mark north of 5.00. Still, despite the ERA numbers there is plenty to like about Hoffmann’s makeup.

Season Stats:

2021 (Low-A): 7 GS, 29.2 IP, 2.73 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 31.9% K%, 6.9% BB%

2022 (High-A): 15 GS, 80.0 IP, 2.36 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 28.4% K%, 6.6% BB%

2022 (AA): 9 GS, 39.1 IP, 6.64 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 16.2% K%, 10.8% BB%

2023 (AA): 19 GS, 87.1 IP, 5.56 ERA, 5.14 FIP, 22.3% K%, 11.0% BB%

2023 (AAA): 8 GS, 38.0 IP, 5.45 ERA, 5.23 FIP, 26.9% K%, 9.4% BB%

Hoffmann was a 12th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Braves. He immediately entered the Braves farm system and started to dominate opposing hitters. His 25.0% K-BB% in his pro debut was impressive. He followed that up with another strong showing in 2022 but has struggled since joining the Royals organization. Although he’s struggled since, it coincided with his first promotion to Double-A, which could explain some of the struggles we’ve seen.

After a late-season call-up to Triple-A Omaha in 2023, Hoffmann started to show signs of his old self once again. His strikeout rate was back above 25% for the first time since 2022 with Atlanta. His walk rate also dipped under 10% for the first time since 2022 as well. Hoffmann’s first three starts for the Storm Chasers were fantastic. He went 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA while striking out 29 hitters in 19.2 IP. He walked only 11 in that span. The rails started to fall off some in some future starts, ballooning his ERA back above five despite the promising improvements. The trip to Omaha showed off some promising improvements and evident mechanical adjustments that will hopefully pay off for more in 2024.

Scouting Grades:

Fastball: 45/50

Slider: 55/60

Changeup: 45/45

Command: 40/50

Best Case Scenario

Andrew Hoffmann has a nasty slider that can make hitters look foolish. He started to refine his abilities more after arriving in Omaha last season. He has two fastball iterations, including a sinker and a four-seam fastball. He pairs those with a slider and changeup. We saw just how great Hoffmann can be when he compiled 19 whiffs and a 37% CSW% in an August start for Omaha. In the big leagues, there’s mid-rotation upside to be found if Hoffmann can rediscover the outstanding command that characterized his early pro career.

Worst Case Scenario

Worst case with Hoffmann, his slider should make him effective in the bullpen. His fastballs sit 91-93, so he will likely always rely heavily on his secondaries barring an offseason development that includes more velocity. Still, his slider is an impressive offering and would work against major league hitters today. Unfortunately, one effective pitch alone does not make a pitcher. If Hoffmann can’t rediscover stronger command and maintain the improvements we saw in Omaha, he may be organizational depth more than anything else.