Pete Abe just posted a very interesting and very exciting item about Phil Hughes and a major adjustment he’s instituted regarding the execution of his plus curveball.
Hughes, known primarily for his exceptional fastball/curve combo due to the quality and command he possesses with both pitches, has been facing a new experience since breaking into the big leagues – adversity.
His curveball, which until recently had been a big breaker from the eyes to the thighs, ate up minor league hitters at each and every level. However, upon entering the majors Hughes’ curve did not dominate as it had because the pitch had too much of a “hump” and he may have been slowing down his delivery, thereby tipping the pitch.
For a long time many Yankees fans and baseball analysts [your humble narrator included] clamored for Hughes to throw a harder curve which, while creating less movement, would then be thrown on the same plane as his fastball and with a higher velocity.
Then came this:
If you watched the game today, you may have noticed that Phil Hughes had a nice, tight curveball. It looked different than the curve he used to throw and I asked him about it.
Hughes explained that he’s throwing his curve with the same arm speed as his fastball. So instead of a big loop (picture Mike Mussina’s curve), it goes to the plate on a straighter plane but still has some action as it gets there. It’s how A.J. Burnett throws his curve.
Hughes devoted a lot of time in the Arizona Fall League to working on that particular pitch. “It’s hard to change because you get used to throwing a pitch a certain way,” he said. “In games, you tend to go back to what is comfortable. But they’ve been staying on me to throw the power curve more. I have to trust it and I do.”
Should Hughes be able to develop this pitch by throwing it harder (mid-to-high 70s mph) while maintaining his arm speed and keeping his curve on the same plane as his fastball, he could obliterate AAA hitters this year.
Along with the development of his cutter and changeup, the curveball adjustment may also arm the 22 year-old with the arsenal he needs to stay at the major league level.
Related posts:
Somehow I missed this one Pete’s site today. I was very impressed with his curveball today. I wasn’t as happy about his performance today as some people seem to be, but that was mostly about his changeup.
Hopefully with a more powerful curve hitters will lay of his changeup a little bit and he can develop it more.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
I dont know, I thought he looked great. He gave up some seeing eye hits, looked to be in complete control, and was not afraid to come inside.
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Bronx Baseball Daily Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Well I don’t think he threw one good changeup and by the third inning he ran out of gas with the fastball, but it’s early. Maybe I should cut him more slack. How many changeups did he actually throw today? You’re right about being afraid to come inside though.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Not many- but he was throwing a good cutter.
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I’m cautiously optimistic about Hughes because of that cutter, not the curveball.
His fastball is not particularly overpowering and very straight which was why he was getting clobbered even before the injury.
The cutter could get him over the top.Curve is a nice extra but it won’t be enough off that straight hittable low 90’s fastball.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Plus, it gives him some rotation the other way. He can’t seem to throw both the slider and the curve, but the cutter is a nice compromise.
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Great news, Tony. Hughes has so much break on that curve and hitters were simply letting it go in 2008. Hopefully, as you stated, this adjustment will allow him to continue to develop and have an effective career at the ML level.
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When Phil came back from his injury last year, his spike curve was absolutely filthy. In his last game against Burnett, he was making the Jays look foolish. They knew it was coming and they still couldn’t hit it.
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This is great news; however, I’m confused about why he is so freakin’ adept at throwing a curve and tweaking a curve. I mean he’s now learning to throw it with the same arm speed as his fastball to fool hitters. Does that line not sound like the exact way to throw a change up? Why is it that he can’t throw the change up that way as well?
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EJ Fagan Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I mean, that’s how you throw a good change up. Most pitchers have to slow their arms down a bit in addition to the harder grip to slow the ball down more than a few miles per hour.
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