So I’m digging through the pitch-by-pitch recap of last night’s game, and I noticed something: of the 7 hits Hughes gave up, only 1 came after he was ahead in the count – Frank Thomas’ single in the first, which came after Hughes had the Big Hurt down 1-2 in the count earlier in the at bat. What does that mean? Two things actually:

1. He needs to do a better job of getting ahead in the count (duh, that’s pretty much the key to being an effective pitcher), and
2. He knows how to put guys away with 2 strikes.

Most young pitchers have trouble putting guys away with 2 strikes, often nibbling at the corners when they should be attacking the zone. Heck, some young guys don’t even have a legit put-away pitch, which often leads to their downfall. Hughes didn’t show that tendency last night, which obviously is a positive.

It looks like Hughes’ next 2 starts will be at Texas on Tuesday, then home against the Mariner’s next Saturday. The Rangers and Mariners both have lineups full of undisciplined hitters (both clubs have a team OBP of .304, tied for second worst in the bigs), and if Phil can keep up his “get ahead and finish’em off” routine, and limit how much he falls behind in the count, these next 2 starts could do wonders for his confidence. Assuming they keep him in the rotation of course…

Nerves struck Hughes in the first (understandable, heck I was nervous for the kid just watching on TV 3,000 miles away) and fatigue struck in the 5th (because of those ridiculous pitch counts from last year), but in between, Hughes was awesome. I thought he absolutely proved himself as ready for The Show.

He got squeezed on some pitches, but that’s not an excuse. He’s a rookie and he needs to establish himself before he starts getting those borderline calls, just like every other pitcher in the history of baseball. His curveball was good, filthy at times, and it’s got a chance to be absolutely devastating once he acclimates himself. His changeup was what I said it was – a quality pitch. He got a nice amount of swing-and-misses on it.

Alex Belth made a great point: Hughes is the only starter the Yankees have that can consistently throw a fastball by a batter. That’s why their starting pitching has been sucky, they aren’t overpowering at all. The “outsmarting the hitter” schtick can get old when you see it 3 days in a row. Once in a while, you just need to reach back and use some brute force.

For a 20-yr old kid making his debut in Yankee Stadium admist a losing streak that seems longer than it really is, he did about as good as you could possible want. Too bad I won’t be able to talk about him as a prospect much longer.

A good friend of mine – also named Mike – was at the game and got some video footage of Hughes. I was hoping for some better shots as well as better quality, but that’s what you get for trusting a Canadian I suppose. Video after the jump…

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From his ESPN.com chat:

Matias (Buenos Aires, Argentina) : Jim, do you regard the Phil Hughes situation as a panic button situation for the Yankees?

 Jim Callis: (2:29 PM ET ) Not at all. He has a great arm, better than anyone they have. He’s ready.

‘Nuff said.

Update: I squeezed in a question:

Mike A. (SD, CA): Now that Hughes is up, who’s the best Yankee pitching prospect in the minors?

 Jim Callis: (3:07 PM ET ) If you don’t count Joba Chamberlain (hamstring) or Dellin Betances (extended spring), who aren’t actually on clubs right now, and discount all the victims of elbow injuries . . . my favorite is Kevin Whelan. Yankees would go with Ian Kennedy. I might too, if I had a report on his stuff. Have to go to the draft phones now, see you next week.

Kennedy has been tearing it up: 19 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 19 K, .190 BAA. All he’s got to do is cut down on those walks…

From BA’s Prospect Blog:

“He was drifting through the balance point of his delivery a little bit, and it wasn’t allowing him to be as sharp,” Eiland said. “The command and life on his fastball were still OK, but it wasn’t Phil Hughes-like. He worked on that between starts.”

That’s not to say Hughes is not a self-aware pitcher. Eiland credits the 20-year-old with having high pitching aptitude and a sound delivery. “You’ve got to tell him just one small thing and he’s back where he needs to be. Every now and then your delivery is going to be a bit off. He corrects himself,” the pitching coach said.
…
“Our goal is to just keep him going, to help him develop his changeup. He just needs experience and innings. He’s just 20-year-old, and I think a lot of times we forget that. He needs to pitch in big situations–men on second and third with one out–to see how he responds.”

Though Hughes came out of high school with an advanced slider, the Yankees have helped him develop a curveball, a pitch that generates more swings and misses and reduces arm strain.

“He still throws the slider two, three, four times a game, if at all. He still throws it on side days,” Eiland said. “That slider’s still there.”

I’m glad to hear he’s still got the slider, but I’m sorry, the kid is as ML ready as you can possibly want a prospect to be. He won’t face many of those “big situations” in the minors, he’s just too good.

I know I sound like a broken record, but he should be in the bigs right now. No doubt about it.