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Jeremy Scott Hefner (born March 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, later serving as their pitching coach for six seasons, and also previously coaching for the Minnesota Twins.
Hefner attended Seminole State College for two years before transferring to Oral Roberts University. In his freshman year, he was 5–4 with a 4.03 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 46 innings. In his sophomore year, he was 4–1 with a 4.25 ERA and 49 Ks in 36 innings pitched.
Pitching for the Eugene Emeralds in 2007, Hefner went 2–5 with a 3.90 ERA in 17 games (11 starts), striking out 74 batters in 62 1/3 innings. In 2008, he pitched for the Fort Wayne Wizards and Lake Elsinore Storm, going a combined 10–5 with a 3.34 ERA in 30 games (25 starts), striking out 150 batters in 145 1/3 innings. He pitched for the Storm and the Portland Beavers in 2009, going 14–9 with a 4.10 ERA in 28 starts. With the Beavers again in 2010, he went 11–8 with a 2.95 ERA in 28 starts.
On May 24, Hefner made his first MLB start against the San Diego Padres. On May 29, Hefner recorded his first big-league win against the Philadelphia Phillies, which also included his first hit, a home run. He was the first pitcher to homer and get his first big-league win in the same game since Dennis Tankersley did it on May 26, 2002. He was also the first Mets pitcher to get his first win and homer on the same day.
On July 4, 2012, Hefner was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. However, he was called back on July 21 after an injury to Johan Santana. On August 26, Hefner pitched his first game since returning from paternity leave for the birth of his second child. Although he got a no-decision, Hefner pitched the best game of his rookie season, by going eight innings and only surrendering one run on five hits.
On September 26, 2012, Hefner was the winning pitcher on the same night that David Wright broke the Mets' all-time hits record.
On August 28, 2013, Hefner underwent Tommy John surgery. Asked if he planned on a late 2014 return, Hefner stated, "That’s my goal, that’s my hope."
After the 2013 season, Hefner was non-tendered by the Mets, making him a free agent. However, he was re-signed to a one-year contract in December, prior to the start of the 2014 season. On October 9, 2014, Hefner announced through his Twitter account that he would undergo a second Tommy John surgery.
On January 17, 2017, Hefner announced his retirement as a player.
On December 8, 2019, Hefner was hired to be the pitching coach for the New York Mets. The Mets fired Hefner on October 3, 2025 after six seasons in the role.
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