He's just 23 years old. He was the Yankees first-round pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. He can throw four pitches, and features a fastball that touches 96 mph, and a devastating knuckle curveball that freezes hitters. This season, Yankee fans are seeing why General Manager Brian Cashman wouldn't trade him in a deal for Johan Santana two offseasons ago. As the Yankees improved their record to 60-38 with their 7-5 win over Oakland today, they don't have to look far to find out one of the main reasons behind their success. Phil Hughes, the reliever.
Two months ago, Yankee fans had never heard of Phil Hughes the reliever. What they had heard of and seen, was Phil Hughes the starter: a 23 year old kid, albeit a very talented one, who was just 8-9 with an ERA over five in 28 career starts. Fast-forward to the present, and as any Yankee fan is well aware, Hughes is not starting right now, but throwing out of the bullpen. So what changed? Well, something happened earlier this year that may have switched the proverbial railroad tracks that represent Hughes' career. Chien-Ming Wang, the once ace of the Yankee staff who won 46 games in 2 1/2 years, returned from the disabled list in late May from hip problems. After making a few appearances in relief, the Yankees announced that Wang would be given his spot back in the starting rotation. Hughes, one of the Yankees top pitching prospects, had been starting in Wang's place. He was just 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Rather than go back to AAA to start, Hughes accepted a move to the bullpen in an effort to stay with the big club. "I'll do whatever the team needs," Hughes said. "Right now that's being in the bullpen."
So how's the move working out so far? Here are Hughes' numbers as a reliever this season:
24.1 innings, 2 earned runs, 5 walks, 28 strikeouts , a 0.74 era, and a .145 opp avg. He also has a 24 inning scoreless streak going. In other words, Hughes has been unhitable. Look past the numbers for a second. Hughes looks like a different pitcher on the mound. His velocity is up to 95, 96 mph from the 91, 92 it was as a starter. In terms of his demeanor, Hughes looks as poised and confident as a 10x all-star. He also seems more mature, something Mariano Rivera noted when he spoke to reporters last week.
"It's all about how you take it," Rivera said of moving to the bullpen. "If you feel like you belong in the rotation and you don't want to do it, then it's more emotional. When you are just happy to be in the big leagues and do whatever the team needs you to do, everything will change. That's the attitude he has. Any opportunity to help the team, he'll do it."
The Yankees record from the time before and after Hughes became a reliever also shows the benefits the move has had. Before June 8th, which was Hughes first appearance as a reliever, the bombers were 33-23. Since then, they are 27-15. Not a huge number, but a difference nonetheless. If you're not impressed, check out Mariano Rivera's numbers since Hughes became a reliever. Rivera has allowed one run since Hughes made the switch, (18.1 innings) and has 16 saves in 16 opportunities.
Prior to this June, Hughes and reliever did not belong in the same sentence. At 6-5, 230 pounds, the California native has always been a starting pitcher. 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 has averaged 5.7 hits, 2.0 walks, and 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings. Rated the #2 pitching prospect in the minor leagues for 2007 by Baseball Digest, Hughes made his major league debut on April 26, 2007. He was projected to be a frontline starting pitcher for the Yankees for many years. However, the success Hughes had found in the minor league level did not immediately translate to the show. As a starter from 2007 to early 2009, Hughes made the aforementioned 28 career starts, going 8-9 with an ERA over five.
Why did Hughes struggle as a starter through 28 big league starts? It really isn't a hard question answer: Hughes is still practically a baby, and has only thrown 165 innings in his big league career. Plus, how many established 23 year old starting pitchers do you know? Hughes also missed much of last season with a strained oblique and cracked rib. His 28 big league starts is still too small
of a sampling to say that Hughes cannot be the frontline starters the Yankee organization believes he will one day become.A lot of the credit for Hughes' success as a reliever, as well as that of the whole bullpen has to go to manager Joe Girardi. Remember the bullpen that came out of spring training? It was built around guys like Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Brian Bruney. Veras was traded to Cleveland, Ramirez is in the minors, and Bruney is still struggling to find his command off of a DL stint. Now it's built around Hughes, as well as Alfredo Aceves, Phil Coke, and of course Mariano Rivera. A lot of credit has to go to Girardi for changing the face of this bullpen, and managing it effectively. Girardi turned what was a weakness at the beginning of the year into a big strength. Hughes has been nothing short of brilliant, and Girardi has a reliable rotation of Coke, Aceves, and Rivera to go along with him. Such a dominant bullpen is why the bombers have won 22 of their last 28, and Hughes is a big part of it.
So has Hughes success as a reliever created a long term debate? For the remainder of this season, it appears Hughes will remain in the bullpen, serving predominately as the 8th inning guy setting up Rivera. The Yankees will tell you that Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are both starting pitchers down the road. I can only nod my head in agreement. Hughes has four pitches that he throws well, and he has the physical and mental makeup to be a dominant starting pitcher. The 'problem,' if we'll even call it a problem, is that Hughes has been so brilliant as a reliever. While this may stir a debate for the fans, the Yankee brass is stone set on reinstating Hughes as a starter next year. Once that happens, it is up to Hughes to throw with the same velocity and toughness that has him blowing away batters as a reliever. I for one, think that he can do that. I am not overly worried that he didn't have the same success as a starter he has now found as a reliever. Again, he is only 23, and it takes time. For now though, lets enjoy the ride Hughes is on this year. Perhaps it will take the Yankees all the way to number 27.
Tidbits from today's game:
- The Yankees won 7-5 against Oakland today, and went 9-1 on their 10 game homestand.
- Derek Jeter went 2-4 with 2 RBI's. He played in his 2,077th game, passing Bernie Williams for fifth in Yankees history.
- The Yankees have won 22 of their last 28 games. With the Red Sox 6-2 loss to the Orioles today, the bombers are 2 1/2 games up in the AL East.
- Robinson Cano's three-run double in the first inning gave him 25 on the season. He had only 25 all of last season. He has already matched last seasons homerun total with 14.
- The Yankees have a tough nine game road trip coming up, starting tomorrow in Tampa Bay. Good pitchers duel between A.J Burnett (9-4, 3.74 ERA) and James Shields (6-6 3.70 ERA).
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment