Whether you believe it or not, the new MLB season is less than three weeks away. I, for one, am very excited for the Yankees, for my fantasy teams and for the general fun that comes along with baseball season. But if there's one thing that excites me most, it's a young fireballer for the Yankees that is out to prove something this year.
No, I'm not talking about Joba; I'm talking about Phil Hughes.
There are a few reasons that the Yankees did not end up trading for Johan Santana, and Phil Hughes is a big one. While Hank Steinbrenner had the final call, both brother Hal and General Manager Brian Cashman did not want to give up the pitcher in whom they had invested so heavily. It's not just the fact that he's younger and cheaper; imagine if he won a Cy Young with another team! I'm pretty sure Cashman would be on suicide watch - and I'd be right there with him.
Most Yankees fans became familiar with Hughes when he debuted in the major leagues last year, but I remember Hughes back when everyone called him "Phillip," when he was just a minor-league prospect charged with turning the Yanks' then-bare farm system around. He was supposed to be the savior of the Yankees. I remember searching Facebook for him so I could add him as a friend. Sadly, he wasn't listed.
His minor-league numbers were something to gawk at - 116 innings pitched, 2.09 ERA, 138 strikeouts and 32 walks in 2006 - and when he finally reached the major leagues last year, he turned out to be as good as advertised. He was mediocre in his debut, but he gave a glimpse of his potential in his second outing. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Rangers before he had to leave due to a hamstring injury, which kept him out for three months.
When Phil (that's right, we're on a first-name basis) came back, he was good, but he wasn't the same pitcher that he had been before the injury. His fastball touched 98 before the injury, but only toiled around the low 90s after. His curveball - his out pitch in the minors - wasn't the same either. It still broke pretty heavily, but just not with the same viciousness. That thing used to fall faster than Freddy Prinze, Jr. (seriously, what happened to him?). Instead of batters looking silly, they usually were able to lay off the pitch. Despite this, Phil still managed to compile impressive numbers in the regular season - 72 innings, 4.46 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 29 walks.
Now, back to health this spring, Hughes is looking sharp already. It's only spring training, and he's only pitched a whopping five innings, but he has yet to allow a hit.
When considering his age, how much potential he has to improve (he's got a slider and change, neither of which he threw too often last year), the low price tag and the commitment that the Yankees and my heart have made to him, thank goodness we didn't deal him for Johan.
The Yankees' rotation is filled with questions this year. Mike Mussina is over the hill, Andy Pettitte is surrounded by HGH and Roger Clemens issues, Chien-Ming Wang is coming off a playoff series in which he had a 19.06 ERA, and Ian Kennedy has 19 innings of major-league experience. For the Yankees to have success, they will need Hughes to have a big year. When it comes down to it, Hughes has to become what he was billed as years ago: our savior.
David Heck is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at David.Heck@tufts.edu.
