The San Diego Padres acquired right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing, along with Tanner Scott, in a trade with the Miami Marlins on July 30, 2024 as part of the trade deadline acquisitions that would help the Padres push toward the postseason.
Hoeing, 29, was drafted by Miami in 2019 and made his MLB debut in the 2022 season, appearing in eight games and 12.2 innings pitched, allowing 19 hits and 17 earned runs. He came back in 2023 and served as a swing man for the Marlins. In 70.2 innings pitched across seven starts and 33 games total, his ERA was 5.48 with 53 strikeouts and 25 walks.
He started 2024 in a similar role with 30 innings pitched over two games started and 16 games total. He had a 2.70 ERA at the time of the trade and came to the Padres to fulfill a similar role for the stretch run to the playoffs. Hoeing pitched in 18 games as a long reliever over 23.2 innings with a 1.52 ERA. He had 18 strikeouts to five walks.
As a swing man/long reliever, Hoeing is the proverbial backward pitcher. His featured pitch is his 93 mph sinker, which he throws almost half the time. He also features a splitter at 86 mph and a slider, all of which are effective to induce ground balls and quick outs.
With plus-command and a fastball that he only throws about five percent of the time (93 mph), Hoeing was very effective in his short time as a healthy pitcher in 2024. A swing man/spot starter/long reliever is a very valuable arm in a bullpen, especially if you have young or innings-limited starters in your rotation.
The 2025 season was basically a wash for Hoeing. Injuring his shoulder before Spring Training, Hoeing was never really right the rest of the season. He returned to pitching in June and came back to the Padres in late June but was not as effective. He was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in late July and pitched there while the Padres made their push to the postseason.
In El Paso, a very unfriendly environment for a pitcher that relies on movement, Hoeing had a 4.70 ERA in 14 games over 15.1 innings pitched. He had 16 strikeouts to six walks with two holds. His numbers with the Padres were 1-0 record with a 3.38 ERA in seven games and eight innings pitched with five strikeouts and three walks. If not for the superior bullpen the team possesses there would have been space for him to work his way back with the major league staff.
With a full offseason and normal spring build up, the organization and fans should see the pitcher that they traded for in 2024. Relying on control and command rather than velocity, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound righty could be a back of the rotation spot starter, a swing man/long reliever that would be highly valuable to a team trying to save wear and tear on their starting rotation or limit innings on their bullpen.
It is a role he has experience in and is ideally suited for on a good team. Hoeing gave an interview to Gwynn and Chris of 97.3 The Fan when he came back from injury last season, discussing how he never felt right when he started throwing in the offseason. He sounded open to starting or relieving, being the ‘Swiss army knife’ on the pitching staff.
Along with the high-leverage arms among the relievers, having a versatile, and healthy, pitcher like Hoeing can go a long way toward extending the effectiveness of a pitching staff. We should be watching closely at the start of Spring Training for how well Hoeing can bounce back.