The Pittsburgh Pirates prospect took the mound for the Class A Bradenton Marauders and would close out the contest with three scoreless innings in a 13-4 loss to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Making things interesting was just how dominant Hofmann was -- he struck out the side in the seventh inning, tacked on another two strikeouts in the eighth and after giving up a hit to lead off the ninth, retired the rest of the side in order to close out his first appearance.
All told, three innings pitched, seven strikeouts, a single hit and a hit batter.
The performance drew rave reviews on Twitter.
RHP Prospect, Logan Hofmann #Pirates
— Pirates Prospect Talk (@TalkPirates) May 6, 2021
The 5th round draft pick in 2020 for the Pirates strikes out the side on his pro debut 🔥
( @lhofmann11 ) pic.twitter.com/8ko0zggNT1
Hofmann suited up for the Miller Express in the 2018 season and posted a 4-1 record, striking out 21 while walking eight and giving up six hits.
Decent numbers to be sure, but what he put together two seasons later would land him on Major League scouts’ radar. Playing for NCAA Division I Northwestern State, Hoffman didn’t allow an earned run over 28 innings, which led the Pirates to select the Muenster native in the fifth round, 138th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Shortly after, Hofmann was back in Moose Jaw and took part in a training session with Sowden Flanagan Baseball, showing off some of the pitches that would mow down professional hitters with a little over a year later.
Hofmann and the Marauders continue their six-game series with Fort Myers through the coming weekend.
