Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Nolan Hoffman says he's living his dream, even if it's short-lived
The moment came full circle for Nolan Hoffman once Cal Raleigh stepped to the plate Monday night in Philadelphia.
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2018, Raleigh was one of the first people Hoffman met as he transitioned from Texas A&M to the majors. Both Raleigh and Hoffman were in the same draft class. Both played together for the short-season Everett AquaSox the year they were drafted. Both started their journey to the majors in the Mariners' farm system.
There stood Hoffman on the mound, making his major league debut. He needed one more out to preserve a Phillies victory, with a runner on second and Raleigh standing in his way.
Hoffman could only reminisce. Raleigh was the first person to catch Hoffman when he returned from Tommy John surgery in 2021, two years after he last threw a pitch in professional baseball.
Both have taken extremely different paths to the majors since their days in rookie ball. On an unseasonably chilly Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, Hoffman stood toe-to-toe with Raleigh in a five-run game. He wasn't about to let his one chance to get three outs in a major league game slide.
Facing a 2-2 count, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto called a curveball. Hoffman wasn't calling him off.
Hoffman got Raleigh to swing and miss at strike three and clapped in excitement. He pitched in a big league game and finished it off, a journey that was seven years in the making.
And he struck out Raleigh — the major league leader in home runs with 47 — to do it.
"I just threw whatever J.T. put down," Hoffman said. "It was pretty crazy to go full circle and finish it off with him."
Hoffman's major league debut
Called up to the majors on Monday, Hoffman didn't even have a nameplate at his locker. He arrived in Philadelphia with just a No. 47 jersey hanging in his locker waiting for him. A dream that took seven years and playing for four different organizations finally came true.
The Phillies were up 12-4 on the Mariners heading into the ninth inning. Hoffman was going to get his opportunity to pitch in the big leagues on the day he got called up.
When the time came for Hoffman to go to the mound, the warm-up song he chose wasn't even playing. He didn't know what song was playing, but it was supposed to be "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix.
But it didn't matter. Hoffman was in the big leagues.
"I came out of the gate and looked around. I was just laughing and smiling," Hoffman said. "This is really happening right now. This is really special."
Hoffman gave up two hits and a run before he recorded an out, a strikeout to Luke Raley. He threw a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score, while also allowing three hits and a walk in the inning. Hoffman allowed three runs and his ERA was 27.00 in his debut, but it didn't matter.
"I don't know what kind of nerves were running through his system," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "I told him that before the game, 'That's normal, that will go away.' Go out and do your thing, have fun, and enjoy it."
Even with the good nerves taking over, the Phillies made sure Hoffman could make the first day memorable, especially with his dad and grandma watching.
"The support that everyone here gave me," Hoffman said. "Everyone wanted me to do well, and that's something that's really special about this team. I could tell they generally wanted me to do well. I think some guys go into this kind of situation and they worry about that kind of stuff. It was really good to get that support."
The box score was irrelevant, and neither was the fact that Hoffman could only be in the big leagues for a day. José Alvarado will be back on the active roster Tuesday, and Hoffman figures to be the odd man out.
Hoffman lived a dream. He was a big league pitcher for one day, and hopefully one more day, so his mom can see him live his dream (she's flying into Philadelphia Tuesday).
"I knew I could do it before and it happened," Hoffman said. "It's proof that I can do it. Obviously, it wasn't the results that I wanted, but I know now I can do it. I'm a big leaguer now and no one can take that away from me."