2012 Phil Hughes Performance Thread

[YESSIR!]

I'll just say I'm not a big Hughes fan. He looked good, which I hated. It's nothing against him personally, I just don't believe he's a starter.

What kind of fan hates when their team's players look good? Weird dude.

Anyway, some of the best changeups I've ever seen Hughes throw in this here video:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...45625&c_id=mlb

[Yankeesfan811]

The cutter he threw to the right handed batter to k him on the inside corner....that was gross.

[Jax Teller]

What kind of fan hates when their team's players look good? Weird dude.

Anyway, some of the best changeups I've ever seen Hughes throw in this here video:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...45625&c_id=mlb

Seriously. I can understand not believing in him. Hating that he looks really good though? Can't wrap my mind around that at all.

[snapple]

Hating that he looks good right now, but will probably end up sucking in the regular season. I just see that happening. I have no faith in him to start. Again, I want to be proven wrong (which I've said in other threads). But, I just don't buy that he's a starter.

[rajah]

What is remarkable is how much you value and have confidence in your opinion and predictions for Hughes. Most of us, or at least those of us who have been following baseball for many years, have a little more perspective. Hopefully, you will gain that as the years go by.

[spikeowenfan]

Anyway, some of the best changeups I've ever seen Hughes throw in this here video:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...45625&c_id=mlb

yep, though really I have to go back to that Texas game in 07 to remember good changes from him. His curveball has looked great this spring as well. It's much tighter than last year and a real swing and miss pitch. I was pretty down on Hughes before this spring as well, but I feel more confident about him this season than Nova right now.

[snapple]

What is remarkable is how much you value and have confidence in your opinion and predictions for Hughes. Most of us, or at least those of us who have been following baseball for many years, have a little more perspective. Hopefully, you will gain that as the years go by.

Well, I can only go by what I've seen, I guess. Just hasn't been anything that says "this guy is the goods". I like Hughes, and he's tremendous out of the pen.

[BennyTheJetRodriguez]

Hating that he looks good right now, but will probably end up sucking in the regular season. I just see that happening. I have no faith in him to start. Again, I want to be proven wrong (which I've said in other threads). But, I just don't buy that he's a starter.

Has always pitched well when healthy. Change up or no change up. Your opinion seems to be a combination of bias and guessing.

[Sixty one]

It certainly looks like Phil is maturing and could become a real ace on this pitching staff.

[eaganmafia]

It certainly looks like Phil is maturing and could become a real ace on this pitching staff.

He's got along way to go before the word "ace" should even be mentioned, how about functioning middle of the rotation arm.

[jcarey]

He's got along way to go before the word "ace" should even be mentioned, how about functioning middle of the rotation arm.

At this point, just "functioning" would be an improvement.

[a-RobinsonCano-Fan]

Its looking to me like hes really earning that 5th spot. Let him be the one to lose it as well

[False1]

At this point, just "functioning" would be an improvement.

And with Joba's injury, I'm thinking the odds of Garcia getting the 5th spot and Hughes going to the pen just shifted a bit.

I hope they haven't made a knee jerk decision around that.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

And with Joba's injury, I'm thinking the odds of Garcia getting the 5th spot and Hughes going to the pen just shifted a bit.

I hope they haven't made a knee jerk decision around that.

As long as Robertson stays on the first floor, you've still got a very good top 3 RH combo of Mo, Soriano and Robertson. I think Wade being the 4th RH is good enough. I have to think they're committed to giving Phil his final chance.

[snapple]

Has always pitched well when healthy. Change up or no change up. Your opinion seems to be a combination of bias and guessing.

I disagree with your post and find it a hint insulting.

[The Comic Book Guy]

I've been thinking quite a bit about Hughes since Pettitte came back. Like many here, I've been pretty down on him. We all had such high expectations for him, and in the eyes of many he's failed pretty miserably.

That said, I've been starting to change my mind about him. I tended to agree with those who said that his upside was 2010, when he had an average-ish ERA, needed a bunch of pitches to put batters away, 6.0 IP/GS and a high HR rate. But thinking about it... He was only 23 at the start of that season. And I know a lot of people like to dismiss his first half that year as a mirage... But that first half DID happen.

Through July 9 he was averaging 6.3 IP/GS, had a 3.65 ERA, a 1.178 WHIP, and was averaging 2.6 BB/9 and 8.1 K/9 with a 93-94mph FB. That happened. Those are legit numbers.

At that point he had just turned 24, had hit 101.0 IP, after throwing 105.3 in 2009, 69.7 in 2008, and 110.3 in 2007. I think there's a good chance that his second half in 2010 had less to do with regressing and more of a young pitcher running out of gas.

I understand the frustration. It's legitimate. I feel it too, especially with his trouble staying healthy. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like he has a high ceiling. Maybe it's just because hope springs eternal in ST, but I really think he could turn out to be Mussina-lite, or John Lackey without the douchery.

I really hope he gets a starting job. But this is a make or break year.

[Snatch Catch]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...icle-1.1051178

The Yankees are unlikely to make anything official for another week or so, but it appears that Phil Hughes has captured a spot in the rotation.

According to a source, “it would be a shock” if Hughes wasn’t one of the Yankees’ five starters when the season opened, as his spring has given the Bombers hope that the 18-game winner of 2010 is back.

[snapple]

Please prove me wrong, Phil. But I seriously doubt he will. And I'm not saying this stuff so I can look back and say "SEE I CALLED it"

[Tifoso]

Nova hasn't really been lights out. And I bet he is odd man out at this point.

[pleasepassthesoup]

Please prove me wrong, Phil. But I seriously doubt he will. And I'm not saying this stuff so I can look back and say "SEE I CALLED it"

I don't get the Hughes hate. The guy is still only 25 and, despite his troubles, has had a decent amount of success as a major leaguer. His velocity is back now and it's not like 25 is unusually old to still be figuring out some things with his secondary stuff.

[eaganmafia]

I don't get the Hughes hate. The guy is still only 25 and, despite his troubles, has had a decent amount of success as a major leaguer. His velocity is back now and it's not like 25 is unusually old to still be figuring out some things with his secondary stuff.

Is it really hate or just the reality of what Hughes as shown at the major league level? As a starting pitcher he's been pretty crappy, NTM being a top prospect bring a certain amount of expectations with it.

[snapple]

Nova hasn't really been lights out. And I bet he is odd man out at this point.

I'd hope Garcia is the odd man out...but in the pen. Let Nova pitch against MLB batters and not mL.

Also, I don't hate Hughes. My experience with Hughes has been disappointment. Not setting myself up for another season of that.

[NYCrusader]

I don't think anyone hates Hughes.

Most of it is just is disappointment with the fact that Phil Hughes was unanimously irrelevent of prospect publication the best pitching prospect in all of baseball and has basically been a league average pitcher for his career with a career 100 ERA+ to go along with underwhelming stuff as a starter excluding the 1st half of 2010 and his successful bullpen stints in which his stuff has been very good.

He is 25 and still has time to shift the narrative of his major league career but the disappointment is as simple as what he came up as and what he has been so far.

[Cool Papa B.]

I think the starting 5 should be:

CC
Kuroda
Nova
Hughes
Pineda

Not necessarily in that order. Let Garcia pitch out of the bullpen. Garcia at this stage in his career is a 150 inning pitcher. I'd rather see him pitch later in the season when the weather is warm and his arm is still fresh.

[flymick24]

maybe this will finally be the year that hughes registers that elusive 2.50 ERA