Player Profiles: Phil Hughes

This is the second installment of the Player Profiles section.  This Profile will be on Phil Hughes.  If you haven't done so yet, please check out the first installment below, on Joba Chamberlain.

Here's an excerpt from a Phil Hughes scouting report:

"Philip Hughes is a rare blend in baseball.  He has plenty of skills, plays for a New York team and is nearly appropriately hyped.  Hughes has been able to breeze his way through the minor leagues and prior 2006, ascended to become the Yankees number one prospect.  Prior to 2007 he was one of the two pitchers debated as the top pitching prospect along with Reds pitcher, Homer Bailey."

Now it appears this piece was written prior to his major league debut, but it still holds true.  Hughes did come up rather quickly, and probably sooner than expected due to injuries at the big club.  Because of Hughes' ability to use his pitches just the way he wants to, he is extremely hyped, and rightfully so.  Before his debut, Yankee fans knew him as the best pitching prospect in the game.  But after watching him almost no-hit the Rangers in his second career start, and pitch 4 brilliant innings in relief with the season on the line in the playoffs, Yankee fans now think of Hughes as the young stud, who is going to save the Yankees from ever having the rebuild.  Simply put, Hughes went from being the best prospect to the savior of the Yankees for years, and years to come.

"Hughes boasts a good fastball that works comfortably in the mid 90s. His four-seamer has good movement and is able to locate it very well.  All of Hughes' pitching is based on his ability to locate pitches.  Hughes also throws a plus two-seam fastball that sits in the low 90s."

All of this is very true, but the pitch that is the reason he is what he is, is his curve.  The curve is thrown in the mid 80's, unheard of, this is his out pitch.  He locates it so well, and can do anything he wants with it.  It's his best pitch by far.  He is also working on a change-up, and if he can get that to work for him, he will have 4 plus pitches, he can also throw a slider if he so chooses.

"Long-term, Hughes is going to be a strikeout pitcher with a long career in the big leagues.  He will certainly know how to use his pitches as well as anyone.  He will be a star."

I would have to second that last statement.  There's no other way to put it than Hughes has a bright future and has the potential to be a special, special player in this game for a long time.

Can Hughes be a consistent 3 starter this season, will he be able to handle the New York pressure of being the savior, and will he be able to show the fans and management that keeping him in favor of Johan was the right move?  All these questions are important ones, look for these answers in the upcoming months of the 2008 season.