"I treated it like the World Series" - Jeff Hoffman reveals how dominating Bryce Harper in live at-bats earned him roster spot and changed his career

Jeff Hoffman is set to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 season after spending the last two years with Philadelphia. Hoffman was a key part of the Phillies and was surrounded by some great players.

The reliever sat down with "Foul Territory" for an interview on Monday and Hoffman was asked about a matchup with Bryce Harper two years ago. It did not happen in an MLB game, but the two battled in what has been referenced as an "amazing matchup."

Even though Hoffman doesn't like to speak about it, the "Foul Territory" hosts were able to get an answer from him.

"Honestly, I try not to bring it up, but he brings it up a lot," Hoffman said. "It was one of those things, yeah I mean I had a really good day on the best possible day to have that day. It was one of those things, where I've been on record saying it before, but I treated it like it was the World Series that day."

Hoffman struggled with injuries and inconsistent outings when the matchup occurred but it transformed the right-hander's career. He then shared more details about facing Harper and how dominant he was.

"I got him pretty good that day," Hoffman said. "I had like five at-bats against him, and I punched him out four times."

Jeff Hoffman reflects on time in Philadelphia after choosing the Toronto Blue Jays

Jeff Hoffman became one of the best relievers in baseball during his time in Philadelphia, which allowed him to be a top free agent in 2024. Hoffman ultimately chose to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays and he sent a farewell message to Philadelphia on Instagram.

"Philly, I’ve been trying to find the words for a while now," Hoffman wrote on Jan. 13. "But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express how much the last two years have meant to my family and I. You gave me new life. I loved every second of it, the cheers, the boos, and everything in between. I felt how much winning meant to you and didn’t ever want to let you down.

"I’m sorry we didn’t accomplish our goal. Thank you to the entire Phillies organization from top to bottom for creating such a special environment to work in and thank you, Philadelphia, for giving us something that is so hard to say goodbye to."

It will be interesting to see how Bryce Harper performs against Hoffman when the two meet in interleague games this coming season.