Phil Hughes (baseball): Difference between revisions

Phil Hughes
New York Yankees – No. 65
Pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 26, 2007, for the New York Yankees
Career statistics (through 2009)
Win-Loss	13–10
Earned run average	4.20
Strikeouts	177
Saves	3
Teams
New York Yankees (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2009)

Philip J. "Phil" Hughes (born June 24, 1986, in Mission Viejo, California) is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees. He was the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.

Hughes attended Foothill High School in Santa Ana, California, where he was a first-team High School All-American pitcher and threw one perfect game. In his junior year (2003) he was 12–0, and posted an 0.78 ERA while striking out 85 batters in 72 innings.^[1] In his senior year (2004) he had a 9–1 record, with a 0.69 ERA. His one loss came at the hands of Woodbridge High School in Irvine, California. In 61 innings, he gave up 40 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 83 batters.

Hughes first committed to Santa Clara University,^[1] but was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. The Yankees were awarded this pick when they lost free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros. Ironically, Hughes grew up as an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox.^[2]

In 2004, he pitched 5 scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Yankees, striking out 8.

Hughes spent 2005, his first full professional year, split between the Class A Charleston RiverDogs and the Advanced A Tampa Yankees. He went 9–2 with a 1.24 ERA, and in 85.3 innings gave up 54 hits while striking out 93.

After receiving a non-roster invitation to the Yankee's spring training, he returned to the Tampa club.

On May 3, 2006, at the age of 19, Hughes made his first start with the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

In 2006 in the minor leagues, Hughes held opposing batters to a .179 batting average in 146.3 innings, while averaging 2 walks and 10 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched. ^[3] On June 13, 2006, Hughes took a no-hitter into the 6th inning, and threw a 1-hitter through 7 innings. On June 23, 2006, Hughes put forth another dominant start, taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and pitching 8 shutout innings. He became stronger as the year progressed; in August he gave up only 10 hits in 30 innings, while striking out 40. Hughes made one appearance in the Eastern League playoffs, earning a no-decision while pitching 6 innings of 1-run ball with 13 strikeouts.

In November 2006, Baseball America rated Hughes the Yankees #1 prospect, and as having the best curveball and best control in the Yankee system, called him "arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors," and projected him as the Yankees #1 starter in 2010.^[4] Through 2006, in his minor league career Hughes was 21–7 with a 2.13 ERA in 237.1 innings (45 starts), in which he averaged 5.7 hits, 2.0 walks, and 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Hughes was rated the #2 prospect in the minor leagues for 2007 by Baseball Digest.^[5] Brian Cashman indicated in December 2006 that he wanted Hughes to start the 2007 season in Triple-A, though he had the talent to start the season in the major leagues.^[6] In January 2007, the Yankees announced that Hughes was being invited to spring training.^[7] He began the 2007 pitching for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Hughes, the second-youngest player in the American League in 2007, made his major league debut on April 26, 2007, against the Toronto Blue Jays wearing number 65 (he wears 65 because he wanted to wear a number ending in five, and every lower number ending in five was taken or retired (5 Joe DiMaggio, 15 Thurman Munson, 25 Jason Giambi, 35 Mike Mussina, 45 Carl Pavano, 55 Hideki Matsui). In 4.1 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits, earning his first career loss. In his second major league start on May 1 against the Texas Rangers, he was dominant and in control while maintaining a no-hitter through 6 and 1/3 innings before pulling his left hamstring on an 0–2 curveball to Mark Teixeira.^[8] He returned on August 4 against the Kansas City Royals, in a 4.2-inning no-decision.

Hughes made his first post-season appearance in 2007 against the Cleveland Indians, pitching in relief in Game 1. He relieved Roger Clemens and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in Game 3. He struck out four and earned his first playoff win. The youngest person on the Yankees roster (Hughes, 21) replaced the oldest person on the roster (Roger Clemens, 45) when Clemens left with a hamstring injury.

Prior to the 2008 season, it was reported by numerous news sources that Hughes was coveted by the Minnesota Twins organization in a trade that would involve pitcher Johan Santana.^[9] Trade talks between the teams fell through, however, and Santana instead went to the New York Mets.

For the first half of the 2008 season, Hughes switched to number 34, a number he wore in high school and for the 2006 All-Star Futures Game. On April 30, he was placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique and cracked rib. On a May 2 visit to an optometrist, Hughes was found to be slightly nearsighted and started wearing glasses on the mound.^[10] After recovering from the rib injury, Hughes spent the summer in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, where he helped them win the 2008 International League title.

After the IL playoffs, Hughes was recalled to the Yankees on September 13. On September 17, Hughes made his first start since April 29 against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium. He went four innings with a no-decision, giving up one earned run.

After his call up, Hughes was re-assigned the number 65 jersey.^[11] Because injuries severely limited his workload during the season, the Yankees sent Hughes to the Arizona Fall League to pitch more innings.^[12]

Although he had a solid performance in spring training, Hughes began the 2009 season in Triple-A. He was called up to the majors early in the season after Chien-Ming Wang was placed on the disabled list. Hughes debuted on April 28 against the Detroit Tigers, and pitched six scoreless innings with a career-high 6 strikeouts. Hughes pitched well enough to earn another start on May 3 against the Angels. On May 25 Hughes made his best start of his career, pitching 8 scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers.

Wang returned to the rotation in early June and Hughes was moved temporarily to the bullpen, where he pitched well, becoming the primary setup man.^[13] Some commentators began to implore the Yankees to keep Hughes as a setup pitcher,^[14] much as they previously had with fellow pitcher Joba Chamberlain following his stint as a set-up pitcher. However, the Yankees organization maintained that Hughes will be a starter over the long-term.^[15]

On July 23, Hughes recorded his first career save after a 6–3 Yankees victory over the Oakland Athletics. He relieved CC Sabathia in the eighth, and pitched two perfect innings.

During the postseason, Hughes struggled, reigniting the debate over whether he would be a starter or reliever during the 2010 season.

On March 25, Hughes was named as the Yankees 5th starter for the 2010 season.^[16]

He features:

• a 91–96 mph four-seam fastball, occasionally touching 97 mph.
• an 87–90 mph two-seam fastball.^[17]
• a 86–88 mph cutter. He worked on this pitch while he was recovering from a rib cage injury in 2008 to replace his slider.
• a mid-to-upper 70's knuckle curve curveball.
• a developing changeup in the low-to-mid 80s.

• 2004 – 1st team High School All-American P
• 2005 – New York Yankees Minor League Player of the Year
• 2006 Minor League Baseball's End-of-Season Prospect Rankings^[18]
• Minor League News ranking – No. 45 – MLN 123 Baseball 2006^[19]
• 2007 Ranked #3 on Moundtalk's Top 100 Prospects.
• 2007 Baseball America's Top 100 prospects: #4.^[20]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phil Hughes.

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Phil Hughes' Official Blog on YardBarker
• Phil Hughes' Old Blog
• Philip Hughes Minor League Splits and Situational Stats