Phil Hughes (baseball)

Philip Joseph Hughes (born June 24, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

Hughes was born in Mission Viejo, California on June 24, 1986, and attended Foothill High School in North Tustin, California, where he was a first-team High School All-American pitcher and had one perfect game.

In his junior year (2003), he had a 12–0 record and posted an 0.78 earned run average (ERA) while striking out 85 batters in 72 innings.

Hughes stands 6 ft tall and weighs 240 lb. He was the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 MLB draft.

During his time in the Yankees' minor-league system, Hughes became one of the most highly anticipated prospects in baseball.

In his senior year (2004), he had an 0.69 ERA and a 9–1 record.

In 61 innings, he gave up 41 hits and three walks while striking out 83 batters.

Hughes first committed to Santa Clara University, but he chose to sign with the New York Yankees when they selected him in the first round, with the 23rd overall selection, of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft.

The Yankees were awarded this pick as compensation when free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte signed with the Houston Astros.

In 2004, Hughes pitched five scoreless innings for the rookie Gulf Coast League Yankees, striking out eight hitters.

He spent 2005, his first full professional year, between the Class A Charleston RiverDogs and the Advanced A Tampa Yankees.

He had a 9–2 record and a 1.24 ERA, and in innings he gave up 54 hits while striking out 93.

After attending spring training with the Yankees in 2006, Hughes began the season with Tampa.

He was promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League at the beginning of May after he had a 2–3 record and a 1.80 ERA with Tampa while striking out 30 batters in 30 innings.

On June 13, Hughes took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and threw a one-hitter through seven innings in a 3–0 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Ten days later, he put forth another dominant start, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and pitching eight shutout innings in a 4–0 win over the Connecticut Defenders.

With Trenton, Hughes had a 10–3 record, a 2.25 ERA, and 138 strikeouts in 116 innings.

He made one appearance in the Eastern League playoffs, earning a no-decision after pitching six innings of 1-run ball with 13 strikeouts.

After the season, he won the Kevin Lawn "Pitcher of the Year" Award as the top Yankees' minor league pitcher.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres during a career that spanned from 2007 through 2018.

He debuted in the major leagues in 2007 as a starting pitcher and quickly demonstrated his potential with a bid for a no-hitter in only his second MLB start.

However, injury cut short his outing, as well as significant portions of his 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Entering 2007, Baseball America rated Hughes the Yankees' #1 prospect, said he had the best Curveball and best control in the Yankee system, and called him "arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors."

Baseball America also named him the fourth-best prospect in baseball.

MiLB.com named Hughes the top right-handed starting pitching prospect in the AL East farm systems.

In January 2007, the Yankees announced that Hughes was being invited to spring training.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, scouts believed that Hughes was ready for the major leagues.

Hughes began 2007 pitching for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees of the International League (IL).

Following injuries to several Yankees' starters in 2007, Hughes was called up to the major leagues in April.

Hughes made his major league debut on April 26 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

In innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits, earning his first career loss.

Hughes began 2009 in the minors but later returned to the majors, eventually becoming a relief pitcher in June and pitching as a setup man for Mariano Rivera.

Hughes excelled in the new role during the regular season.

Despite his struggles in the postseason, Hughes won a championship with the Yankees in the 2009 World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Upon returning to the Yankees' starting rotation in 2010, Hughes won 18 games and earned a berth on the American League All-Star team.

Arm fatigue cost Hughes nearly half of the season in 2011.

The following year, he stayed healthy for the entire season and won 16 games as the Yankees' third starter.

In 2013, Hughes had his worst season, posting a 4–14 win–loss record and a 5.19 earned run average; this performance led to his removal from the starting rotation.

After signing with the Minnesota Twins, Hughes had a turnaround season in 2014, finishing the season with a 16–10 record and an ERA of 3.52 and placing seventh in the American League Cy Young Award voting.

Hughes ended his career with an 88–79 record and an earned run average of 4.52.