A replay of the 2006 Futures game? This Chad Jenning photo shows former teammates Hughes and Jose Tabata squaring off.
The young, embattled yet gifted Phil Hughes is still alive, albeit hidden behind arguably the most talented starting rotations the Yankees have comprised over the last six years.
Yesterday, Hughes hit the ground running, striking out the side in his first inning of work with nearly the minimum number of pitches possible.
From the incomprarable Chad Jennings:
The first Triple-A Pirates hitter Phil Hughes faced on Wednesday came to the plate about the same time Alfredo Aceves started making his first-inning warm up tosses on the Double-A field. Hughes finished his inning before Aceves faced his first batter. Ten pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts. That’s how Hughes started his day.
For the evergrowing group of Hughes-skeptics, no, there were no radar guns there to estimate Phil’s fastball velocity, though I’m sure he was mostly 91-93 mph.
The most impressive aspect of yesterday’s start was the fact that Hughes posted such a strong line [5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K] while spending much of the outing attempting to refine his changeup and cut-fastball.
Afterwards, Hughes sounded content and confident:
“Everything is kind of where it needs to be,” Hughes said. “It’s been a slow progression through the spring trying to get my pitch count up. My last (spring start) should be up around 100 pitches. I feel good. I feel pretty strong, right where I need to be. I’m looking forward to getting out of Florida.”
According to Jennings, of the five hits he allowed, one was a bloop and one was a bunt single. The only two hard-hit balls were triples the Pirates put into the gaps at Bradenton.
The Scranton Yankees scribe went on to describe how Hughes is currently feeling physically:
He said he feels even better than he did at the end of last season when he plow ed through the Interanational League playoffs, made two solid big league starts down the stretch and struck out 38 batters in 30 innings in the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League.
Though Hughes said we was working on his change and cutter, it seems that he is much more comfortable throwing his cut-fastball, claiming “throw it 2-0, 3-1…[s]ometimes I’ll run it in on a lefty and try to get the guy to hit a weak ground ball or something, but for the most part it’s for when I’m behind in the count and they’re looking for a pitch to hit.”
Personally, the changeup seems like the most important pitch Hughes should work on while in AAA this year. Hopefully the 22 year-old does not overlook its importance in favor of his cutter.
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It’s great to see him gaining confidence with the cutter. While ideally he would add a change as well, not everyone can get the feel for it. Having three quality pitches and use the change as a “show me” pitch seems to be plenty.
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Tom Gaffney Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I agree. Every year, the Mets tried to push the changeup with Doc Gooden. Every pre-season, he “was working mostly on his changeup.” It was always “improved.” Some attribute that focus to ruining his career.
The fact that they’ve been force-feeding him the change for years now and it’s still at best a 20 (out of 80) pitch (probably even worse), yet he taught himself the cutter in 2 weeks and was consistently getting major leaguers out with it a month or two later should tell us something. I’ve never seen him even get a strike with that change – it’s awful.
Yes, the guy’s still extremely young – I’m not saying completely give up on it, but I wouldn’t cram it down his throat. Let him play with it. Tell him to throw 1 per inning at AAA and none on the major leage level unless it feels really good in warmups. Work on the cutter. He needs 3 plus pitches to be really good and the cutter is MUCH closer to being a plus pitch than the change.
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I don’t get this guy though. His slider was his best pitch. Then it got so bad that he abandoned it. He’s been working on his change probably since high school and it still isn’t that good. He seemingly added the cutter on the fly last season. He’s been injured nearly as much as Carl Pavano. And he’s blocked by 5 very good starters.
Why hasn’t he even been considered as an 8th inning guy?
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Yankee1010 Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
He shouldn’t be considered as an 8th inning guy until he 100% proves that he cannot hold up as a starter. It’s obviously a few years from that. The only reason there is no clamoring for him as an 8th inning guy is because Joe Public never saw him there. I’m sure he could go out and dominate one inning at a time just like most elite starters could.
As for the slider, he got rid of it because they make all high school pitchers put their sliders in their back pockets so that they can teach them the Nardi-special curveball. I don’t think the slider being gone is that big a deal because his curve is pretty legit now and sliders tend to take more of a toll on the elbow.
As for the lack of a changeup, I agree with Moshe that he should really focus on that in AAA this year. It seems that Hughes realizes it, so I’m not completely worried about it. I also think that he could survive with just a serviceable changeup. Obviously, it would be ideal if he could make it into a plus pitch, but it’s probably not going to happen. Having the fastball, curve and cutter with the ability to spot them will be enough.
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Anthony G. Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
His slider was his best secondary pitch in high school. He did not abandon it. Upon him signing with the Yankees Nardi Contreras scrapped the slider and taught Hughes a curveball, which as we all know now, was the right decision as it became one of the best curveballs in the minor leagues. Hughes shelved the slider until he got to Tampa or Trenton, at which time he would use it sparingly. Unfortunately, the slider never developed into a plus pitch. Also, and maybe most significantly, Hughes has said multiple times that he has trouble throwing two different breaking balls, so the slider was the sacrificial lamb. Instead he picked up the less challenging cut-fastball.
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Bronx Baseball Daily Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I know all about his slider and why it disappeared. My problem is that people keep insisting this guy is a 4-pitch starter even though he really only has 2 plus pitches.
I sat down with Nardi last year and we discussed this. We discussed what he was doing with the cutter and how bad his changeup is, but obviously threw out the company line that he’s working on it.
My point is that since only two of his pitches are where he wants them why they don’t even consider moving him to the pen. When I asked point blank about it, I was given cliche garbage.
I think he has potential to be a strong reliver. I wish they would give it a shot. It wouldn’t have to be permanent. A lot of guys come up as relievers before going back to the rotation. Santana did it.
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Anthony G. Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
It’s simple. Hughes is and should be a starter because he provides rotation depth for a Yankees rotation comprised of an injury-prone Burnett, an innings limited Joba and an aging shoulder away Pettitte. Therefore, he is much more valuable in that capacity than inserting him within an already overcrowded, talented MLB bullpen. The kid is just 22, still revered by scouts and has not in any way been proven incapable of starting, so it really makes no sense.
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Tom Gaffney Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Agreed. A front of the rotation starter is so much more valuable than a bullpen guy, and Phil has two plus pitches (his curve could easily be or become a plus-plus pitch) and the cutter looks very promising. That’s all 90% of starters have. It’s very rare for a guy to have 4 plus pitches – you’re looking at just Moose, Pedro and a few others who can do that. I’m not even ready to completely give up on his changeup, though I agree with BD that it’s awful right now. Like Tony says, He’s only 22.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
One minute. i think the most important thing to note here is that you sat down with Nardi. In what capacity?
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Bronx Baseball Daily Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
In an interview capacity. This specific interview I am referring to took place September last season and we talked about Hughes, Aceves, and Kennedy.
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SonnyMooks Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Didn’t Hughes always have his roughest innings early while pitching?
That could be one reason to keep him out of the bullpen.
Not saying he can’t be a reliever, and not saying he can’t learn a change up, but its still early for him.
That said, I do wonder if they at least had him work on different grips and stuff with the change up, instead of force feeding him one type and trying to make it stick.
They could at least consider maybe, just maybe teaching him a forkball if the change up doesn’t work out.
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Bronx Baseball Daily Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Actually, I feel like because he throws so many pitches per inning, I can’t remember many times he got past the fifth last season, that he is more suited for a short role.
Is it more valuable to have a strong setup-man and possibly future closer or a starter who can’t go deep into games?
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Its a little soon to say he cant go deep. He was getting knocked out early because he stunk. When he is on, he has shown no problem with racking up too many pitches, from what I recall.
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I’d much rather he throw a curve than a slider. The elbow strain is the most obvious reason, but I think a really good curve is a more useful pitch for Hughes since the cutter kind of replaces the slider anyway.
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i remember that no hit start against texas he struck out teixera on three straight change ups.
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