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Philip Hughes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other people named Philip Hughes, see Philip Hughes (disambiguation).
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| Position | Pitcher |
|---|---|
| Team | Trenton Thunder |
| Number | 65 |
| Height | 6' 5" |
| Weight | 220 lbs |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Wins (AA) 2006 | 10 |
| Loss (AA) 2006 | 3 |
| ERA (AA) 2006 | 2.25 |
Philip J. Hughes (born June 24, 1986 in Dalton, Georgia) is a professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher, who was the first-round pick of the New York Yankees in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.
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Hughes attended Foothill High School in Santa Ana, California, where he was a first-team High School All-American pitcher and threw one perfect game. In his junior year (2003) he was 12-0, and posted an 0.78 ERA while striking out 85 in 72 innings.[1] In his senior year (2004) he was 9-1, with an 0.69 ERA. In 61 innings he gave up 40 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 83 batters.
Hughes first committed to Santa Clara University,[2] but was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (23rd overall) in June 2004.
In 2004 he pitched 5 scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Gulf Coast Yankees, striking out 8.
Hughes spent 2005, his first full professional year, split between the Yankees' Rookie League team and the Single-A Tampa Yankees. He went 9-1 with a 2.19 ERA, and in 86 innings gave up 54 hits while striking out 93.
After receiving a non-roster invitation to the parent team's spring training, he returned to the Tampa club.
On May 3, 2006, at the age of 19, Hughes made his first start with the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
In 2006, in the minor leagues Hughes held opposing batters to a .179 batting average in 146.3 innings, while averaging 2 walks and 10 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched. [3] He became stronger as the year progressed; in August he gave up only 10 hits in 30 innings, while striking out 40. Hughes made one appearance in the Eastern League playoffs, earning a no-decision while pitching 6 innings of 1-run ball with 13 strikeouts.
In November 2006 Baseball America rated Hughes the Yankees # 1 prospect, and as having the best curveball and best control in the Yankee system, called him "arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors," and projected him as the Yankees # 1 starter in 2010.[4]
Through 2006, in his minor league career Hughes is 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.
Hughes was rated the # 2 prospect in the minor leagues for 2007 (behind the Red's Homer Bailey) by Baseball Digest.[5]
Brian Cashman indicated in December 2006 that he wanted Hughes to start the 2007 season in AAA, though he has the talent level to start the season in the major leagues.[6]
In January 2007 the Yankees announced that Hughes was being invited to spring training.[7] After facing him in batting practice in spring training in February, Jason Giambi said: "He looks like a young Rocket." Ben Davis called his curveball "devastating," and Todd Pratt called it "deadly."[8]
He features:
- a power 92-96 mph fastball (mostly 4-seamers, with some upper-80s 2-seamers), with good late life; may eventually hit 100 mph.
- a low 80s 12-6 and 1-7 hard-breaking curveball which he throws 20-30% of the time (which Joe Torre has called "really impressive," Ben Davis called "devastating," and Todd Pratt called "deadly"),[9]
- a hard slider with late bite (a "situation pitch," which he used less in 2006 than he had previously),
- a developing changeup that is much improved and which he threw 10% of the time in 2006, and
- After catching Hughes in a spring training game in 2006, Yankees star catcher Jorge Posada called him "the best arm in camp, no doubt about it," while Jason Giambi compared him to a young Roger Clemens.[12]
- On June 13, 2006, Hughes took a no-hitter into the 6th inning, and threw a 1-hitter through 7 innings, his best start of the year.
- On June 23, 2006, Hughes put forth another dominant start, taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and pitching 8 shutout innings.
- On October 24, 2006, Hughes launched his own website (www.philiphughes.net)
- During the 2003 ALCS, Hughes had a high school job at Baskin Robbins, and had to work that night. He kept calling his mom to check the score.[13]
- After watching Hughes play in spring training 2006, Yankees manager Joe Torre said, "That kid is going to be good; he reminds me of Rocket." While comparing Hughes to Clemens, Jason Giambi opined: "He's young, but that fastball, it's late. I don't care what the radar gun says, it seems like it's on top of you. He's got good stuff."
- The Yankees were awarded the 23rd pick in the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft, which they used to select Hughes, when they lost free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros. In the 1992 draft, Houston passed on Kalamazoo Central HS (MI) shortstop Derek Jeter, opening the door for the Yankees to select him 6th overall and go on to be one of the greatest players in franchise history.
- 2004 - 1st team High School All-American P
- 2005 - New York Yankees Minor League Player of the Year
- No. 4 - 2006 Minor League Baseball's End-of-Season Prospect Rankings
- No. 45 - MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 - Minor League News ranking