Phil Hughes
New York Yankees – No. 65
Starting pitcher
Born: (1986-06-24) June 24, 1986 (age 26) Mission Viejo, California
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 26, 2007 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics (through 2012 season)
Win-loss record	40–28
Earned run average	4.59
Strikeouts	370
WHIP	1.30
Teams
New York Yankees (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2010) World Series champion (2009)

Philip Joseph "Phil" Hughes (born June 24, 1986) is an American right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 5 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. He was the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.

During his time in the Yankees' minor-league system, Hughes became one of the most highly anticipated prospects in baseball. He debuted in the Major Leagues in 2007, and quickly demonstrated his potential with a bid for a no-hitter in only his 2nd MLB start. However, injury cut short his start, as well as significant portions of his 2007 and 2008 seasons. Hughes began 2009 in the starting rotation, but after struggling, he was converted to a relief pitcher for the remainder of the season, where he excelled as a setup man in a World Series-winning season. He returned to the rotation in 2010, winning 18 games and earning his first All-Star selection. Arm fatigue cost Hughes nearly half of the season in 2011.

His pitching repertoire consists of a four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and changeup.

Early life[link]

High school career and draft Hughes was born in Mission Viejo, California, and 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 batters in 72 innings.^[1] In his senior year (2004) he had a 9–1 record, with a 0.69 ERA. His one loss came at the hands of Woodbridge High School in Irvine, California. In 61 innings, he gave up 40 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 83 batters.

Hughes first committed to Santa Clara University,^[1] but was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. The Yankees were awarded this pick when they lost free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros.

Professional baseball career[link]

Minor leagues (2004–2007)[link]

In 2004, he pitched 5 scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Yankees, striking out 8.

Hughes spent 2005, his first full professional year, split between the Class A Charleston RiverDogs and the Advanced A Tampa Yankees. He went 9–2 with a 1.24 ERA, and in 85.3 innings gave up 54 hits while striking out 93.

After receiving a non-roster invitation to the Yankees' spring training, he returned to the Tampa club. On May 3, 2006, at the age of 19, Hughes was promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

Hughes with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

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.^[2] On June 13, 2006, Hughes took a no-hitter into the 6th inning, and threw a 1-hitter through 7 innings. On June 23, 2006, Hughes put forth another dominant start, taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and pitching 8 shutout innings. 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.^[3] 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 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 by Baseball Digest.^[4] Brian Cashman indicated in December 2006 that he wanted Hughes to start the 2007 season in Triple-A, though he had the talent to start the season in the major leagues.^[5]

In January 2007, the Yankees announced that Hughes was being invited to spring training.^[6] He began the 2007 pitching for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Major Leagues (2007–present)[link]

2007[link]

Hughes, the second-youngest player in the American League in 2007, made his major league debut on April 26, 2007, against the Toronto Blue Jays wearing number 65 (he wears 65 because he wanted to wear a number ending in five, and every lower number ending in five was taken or retired (5 Joe DiMaggio, 15 Thurman Munson, 25 Jason Giambi, 35 Mike Mussina, 45 Carl Pavano, 55 Hideki Matsui). In 4.1 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits, earning his first career loss. In his second major league start on May 1 against the Texas Rangers, he was dominant and in control while maintaining a no-hitter through 6 and 1/3 innings before pulling his left hamstring on an 0–2 curveball to Mark Teixeira.^[7] He returned on August 4 against the Kansas City Royals, in a 4.2-inning no-decision.

Hughes made his first post-season appearance in 2007 against the Cleveland Indians, pitching in relief in Game 1. He relieved Roger Clemens and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in Game 3. He struck out four and earned his first playoff win. The youngest person on the Yankees roster (Hughes, 21) replaced the oldest person on the roster (Roger Clemens, 45) when Clemens left with a hamstring injury.

2008[link]

Hughes pitching in May 2008

Prior to the 2008 season, it was reported by numerous news sources that Hughes was coveted by the Minnesota Twins organization in a trade that would involve pitcher Johan Santana.^[8] Trade talks between the teams fell through, however, and Santana instead went to the New York Mets.

For the first half of the 2008 season, Hughes switched to number 34, a number he wore in high school and for the 2006 All-Star Futures Game. On April 30, he was placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique and cracked rib. On a May 2 visit to an optometrist, Hughes was found to be slightly nearsighted and started wearing glasses on the mound.^[9] After recovering from the rib injury, Hughes spent the summer in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, where he helped them win the 2008 International League title.

After the IL playoffs, Hughes was recalled to the Yankees on September 13. On September 17, Hughes made his first start since April 29 against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium. He went four innings with a no-decision, giving up one earned run.

After his call up, Hughes was re-assigned the number 65 jersey.^[10] Because injuries severely limited his workload during the season, the Yankees sent Hughes to the Arizona Fall League to pitch more innings.^[11]

2009[link]

Hughes before a game against the Chicago White Sox

Although he had a solid performance in spring training, Hughes began the 2009 season in Triple-A. He was called up to the majors early in the season after Chien-Ming Wang was placed on the disabled list. Hughes debuted on April 28 against the Detroit Tigers, and pitched six scoreless innings with a career-high 6 strikeouts. Hughes pitched well enough to earn another start on May 3 against the Angels. On May 25 Hughes made his best start of his career, pitching 8 scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers.

Wang returned to the rotation in early June and Hughes was moved temporarily to the bullpen, where he pitched well, becoming the primary setup man.^[12] Some commentators began to implore the Yankees to keep Hughes as a setup pitcher,^[13] much as they previously had with fellow pitcher Joba Chamberlain following his stint as a set-up pitcher. However, the Yankees organization maintained that Hughes will be a starter over the long-term.^[14]

On July 23, Hughes recorded his first career save after a 6–3 Yankees victory over the Oakland Athletics. He relieved CC Sabathia in the eighth, and pitched two perfect innings.

Hughes' dominance in the setup role has widely been regarded as a key to the Yankees 2009 season turn-around. In the same year, Hughes altered his change-up to make his change-up more of a Vulcan Change-Up.

2010[link]

On March 25, Hughes was named as the Yankees 5th starter for the 2010 season.^[15] On April 21, Hughes carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics before allowing a leadoff single to Eric Chavez; he would face two more hitters prior to being relieved, having struck out a career-high 10 batters.^[16]

He went on to win his first five decisions, a streak snapped May 22 by the New York Mets at Citi Field.^[17] He followed with another five-game win streak, the last coming against the Mets, June 19 at Yankee Stadium.^[18] After missing a start, he saw this win streak come to an end June 29 against Cliff Lee and the Seattle Mariners.^[19]

Hughes was named to the AL All-Star Team, Sunday, July 4. Five days after his first selection to the midsummer classic, Hughes beat the Mariners, this time in Seattle, but not against Lee, the announced probable starting pitcher up until his trade to the Texas Rangers in the hours before gametime.^[20] He would also be on the wrong end of the decision in his next outing – July 13 in Anaheim. Hughes, the sixth pitcher used by the AL in the Midsummer Classic, allowed a pair of one-out singles to Scott Rolen and Matt Holliday in seventh inning before yielding to Matt Thornton of the White Sox; Rolen and Holliday scored the tying and go-ahead runs on Brian McCann's three-run double that proved decisive in the N.L.'s 3–1 victory. Hughes had a good season in 2010, finishing fourth in the A.L with 18 wins, only 8 losses, and a 4.19 ERA.

2011[link]

Hughes in 2011

Hughes, who began as the third starter in the 2011 season, suffered from a dip in velocity. His four-seam fastball averaged only 89 mph and peaked at 92 mph after three starts, compared to his usual 92-95 mph. After opening the season 0-1 with a 13.94 ERA in three starts, Hughes was placed on the disabled list with arm fatigue.^[21] It was later revealed that Hughes had been suffering from shoulder inflammation. He underwent an arm strength rehabilitation program for several weeks. On July 6, he made his first start in nearly 3 months, pitching five innings, allowing two earned runs, striking out and walking two batters, in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.^[22] Soon after Hughes' return, the Yankees found themselves with 6 starters, leading to speculation about which pitcher would be removed from the starting rotation. Thus far, Hughes has pitched well in the second half, with a 3.72 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 4–2 record.^[23]

2012[link]

On January 16, 2012, Hughes signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 milllion that includes incentives, effectively avoiding arbitration. His deal is a $.5 million raise from his disappointing 2011 season.^[24]

Personal[link]

As a child, Hughes was a Red Sox fan and had a poster of Nomar Garciaparra with the slogan "Reverse the Curse" on his bedroom wall. Phil Hughes is a devout Christian. 'Phil. 4:13' can be seen in his glove. .^[25]

Scouting report[link]

He features:

• a 92–95 mph four-seam fastball, occasionally touching 96 mph.
• a 87–90 mph cutter. He worked on this pitch while he was recovering from a rib cage injury in 2008 to replace his slider.
• a mid 70's 1–7 knuckle curve curveball.
• a changeup in the low-to-mid 80s. Hughes has recently begun to throw this pitch more often.
• a hybrid slider-cutter. He developed this pitch in Spring Training in 2011 after adjusting his cutter grip with help from the new Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

Awards and honors[link]

• 2004 – 1st team High School All-American P
• 2005 – New York Yankees Minor League Player of the Year
• 2006 – Minor League Baseball's End-of-Season Prospect Rankings^[26]
• 2006 – Minor League News ranking – No. 45 – MLN 123 Baseball 2006^[27]
• 2007 – Ranked #3 on Moundtalk's Top 100 Prospects.
• 2007 – Baseball America's Top 100 prospects: #4.^[28]
• 2010 – American League All-Star

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Phil Hughes

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Phil Hughes on Twitter
• Phil Hughes' Official Blog on YardBarker
• Phil Hughes' Old Blog
• Philip Hughes Minor League Splits and Situational Stats

Phillip Hughes

Personal information
Full name	Phillip Joel Hughes
Born	(1988-11-30) 30 November 1988 (age 23) Macksville, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Hughesy
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Batting style	Left-hand opening
Bowling style	Right-arm off-break
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 408)	26 February 2009 v South Africa
Last Test	17 November 2011 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2012–	Worcestershire
2011–present	Sydney Thunder
2010	Hampshire (squad no. 29)
2009	Middlesex
2007–present	New South Wales (squad no. 22)
Career statistics
Competition	Test	FC	LA	T20
Matches	17	66	45	17
Runs scored	1,072	5,476	1,567	527
Batting average	34.58	48.03	39.17	37.64
100s/50s	3/3	17/28	2/10	0/4
Top score	160	198	138	83
Balls bowled	0	18	0	0
Wickets	–	0	–	–
Bowling average	–	–	–	–
5 wickets in innings	–	0	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	0	–	–
Best bowling	–	0/3	–	–
Catches/stumpings	7/–	41/–	15/–	10/–
Source: Cricinfo, 16 December 2011

Phillip Joel Hughes (born 30 November 1988) is an Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman who made his Test debut at the age of 20 after just two seasons with New South Wales.^[1]

Early life and junior career[link]

Hughes was born in Macksville, a small town on the north coast of New South Wales, to parents Greg and Virginia.^[2] The son of a banana farmer and an Italian mother, Hughes was also a talented rugby league player who once played alongside Australian rugby league international Greg Inglis.^[1] He played his junior cricket for Macksville R.S.L Cricket Club, where he excelled so quickly that he was playing A-Grade at the age of 12.^[2] At the age of 17, Hughes moved from Macksville to Sydney to play for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket^[3] while he attended Homebush Boys High. He scored 141* on his grade debut and enjoyed a solid 2006–07 season scoring 752 runs at an average of 35.81 with a highest score of 142*.^[4] He represented Australia at the Under-19s World Cup in 2007.^[5] He was coached at Activate Cricket Centre in Mortlake.^[6]

First-class career[link]

After scoring runs prolifically for New South Wales youth teams and Western Suburbs in Grade Cricket, Hughes was handed a rookie contract by New South Wales for the 2007–08 season.^[7] After scores of 51 and 137 for the New South Wales Second XI against Victoria's Second XI,^[8] Hughes was rewarded with a call up by Blues selectors to make his first-class debut. He played his first senior game against Tasmania on 20 November 2007 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. At 18 years and 355 days, Hughes was the youngest New South Wales debutant since Michael Clarke in 1999.^[9] In a comfortable victory for New South Wales, Hughes opened the batting and got his career off to a solid start, scoring a fluent 51 and taking 2 catches.^[10]

Hughes had an outstanding debut season for New South Wales, playing 7 matches and scoring 559 runs at an average of 62.11 with 1 century and 6 fifties.^[11] The highlight of Hughes' excellent season came in New South Wales' Pura Cup final victory over Victoria. He scored 116 off 175 balls in the Blues' second innings to help put his team in a commanding position. At 19 years of age, this innings made him the youngest ever player to score a century in a Pura Cup final.^[12] Hughes was rewarded for his achievements by winning the New South Wales Rising Star Award and earning an upgrade to a full state contract for the 2008–09 season.^[13][14]

He was signed by Middlesex on a short-term contract, as cover for Murali Kartik for the beginning of the 2009 English cricket season.^[15][16] He was available for first six weeks of the season, and played in three County Championship matches, all eight of Middlesex's Friends Provident Trophy group matches and the first few matches in the Panthers' defence of the Twenty20 Cup.^[17] In most other years, a contract for the opening six weeks of the season would involve playing 4–6 Championship matches, some but not all FPT matches and no Twenty20, but the scheduling for 2009 has to accommodate ICC World Twenty20 and the eventually-cancelled Stanford Super Series. It has been noted that despite Hughes holding an Italian passport by virtue of his Italian mother, Middlesex resisted signing Hughes up as a Kolpak player and instead signed him as a foreign player.^[18] He enjoyed strong success in England, scoring 574 runs in his three first-class matches, including three hundreds, at an average of 143.50.^[19] Of his time at Middlesex, he commented "I thoroughly enjoyed it and the preparation has been great. The big thing that came out of it was that I played at three Test grounds I'm going to be playing on and got to experience them before this big series coming up. Lord's was my home ground there for Middlesex and I played at The Oval as well and Edgbaston. It couldn't have really worked out any better. The big thing was just going over there to experience the whole different culture really, the weather, the wickets and the bowlers as well."^[20]

Hughes hit back to back hundreds at the end of the 2010/11 season to earn Hilditch's praise. In his last two first class matches for NSW in the 2010/11 season he scored 54,115,138, and 93. Australia chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch stated "I was thrilled for Phil, I think he turned the corner the last game. I spent a bit of time with him before the last Shield game and he seemed to be in a really good place. Having had a tough season, to emerge like he has is a credit to him."^[21]

List A career[link]

Less than a week after his debut in first-class cricket, on 28 November 2007, Hughes made his List A debut against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While he was not originally scheduled to play the match, sickness to Australian opening batsman Phil Jaques handed him the spot.^[22] Just as he did in his first-class debut, Hughes passed 50 but was eventually dismissed for 68, top scoring for New South Wales in a "controlled" display.^[23] After New South Wales' wicket-keeper Brad Haddin was struck in the head by a top edge, Hughes took on the 'keeping duties for nine overs. On 17 May 2009, Hughes made his first limited overs century, scoring 119 for Middlesex against Warwickshire.

Australian Test career[link]

Ducking to a short ball that, according to critics, caused him problems in England.

After consistently making runs at domestic level, Hughes was called up to replace Matthew Hayden on Australia's tour of South Africa in February and March 2009. He was selected to make his debut in the first Test match starting on 26 February 2009 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg after making 53, then retiring, in Australia's tour match against the South African Board President's XI. He was dismissed for a duck in his first Test innings by Dale Steyn off just the fourth ball of the match, however he went on to top-score with 75 in the second innings, including 11 fours and a six.^[24]

Hughes hit his maiden Test hundred in the first innings of the second Test at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban on 6 March 2009, before adding another hundred in the second Innings. In doing so, Hughes, at the age of 20 years and 96 days, became both the youngest Australian since Doug Walters to score a Test century,^[25] and the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a Test match.^[26]

Hughes takes a catch at training.

During the 2009 Ashes campaign, Hughes' unorthodox technique was exploited by fast bowlers, who targeted his upper body, and avoided bowling wide outside off stump, restricting his opportunities to play shots through the offside, most notably the cut shot. He was dropped from the team, for the third Edgbaston Test in favour of Shane Watson, who opened the batting in his place and provided the Australians with an extra bowling option.^[27][28]

He was a fringe player for the next year or so, playing some Tests to cover other injured batsmen. He played two home Tests against Pakistan in this capacity, covering the injured Ricky Ponting in the Boxing Day Test, then Simon Katich in the New Year's Test. He was then called up to the Test squad for the tour of New Zealand in March 2010 to replace Shane Watson in the first Test; he scored a rapid 86 from 75 balls in a small fourth-innings run chase in this Test.

Hughes was dropped from the 2010–2011 Ashes squad, but was called up for the Third Test as a replacement for the injured Simon Katich. He was a regular in the Australian team for the following year, playing in the last three Ashes tests, tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa, and then a home series against New Zealand, but his spot came under pressure due to his inconsistency during that time. He scored two big scores (126 in Colombo and 88 in Johannesburg), but his next-highest score was only 36,^[29] and he consistently fell to catches at slip and gully. He was heavily criticised for his performance in the two-test series against New Zealand, in which he managed only 41 runs at 10.25, and was dismissed exactly the same way in all four innings: caught at slip by Martin Guptill from the bowling of Chris Martin.^[30] He was dropped from the Australian team following the series.^[31]

Awards[link]

• New South Wales Rising Star Award: 2007^[13]
• Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: 2009
• Sheffield Shield Player of the Year: 2008/09

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Phillip Hughes

• Player profile: Phillip Hughes from ESPNcricinfo
• Player profile: Phillip Hughes from CricketArchive
• Player Profile: Phillip Hughes from the New South Wales Blues

References[link]