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- On Monday night, with the Yanks holding on to a one-run lead in the 7th inning, Joe Girardi summoned Phil Hughes from the bullpen. The Yanks had hoped to throw Phil in a low-pressure situation, but the circumstances of the game and the Yanks' shaky pen dictated a trial-by-fire appearance for Phil.
The young right-hander did not disappoint. He threw 11 pitches -- 7 for strikes -- and averaged 94 with his fastball while peaking above 95. He dominated the top of the Rays' lineup and had everyone raving after the game. Tyler Kepner called him "a revelation in relief,” and Joel Sherman is "intrigued to see more” from Hughes the reliever.
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Long-term, the Yankees' decision to move Hughes into the bullpen has to be a fairly temporary one. Hughes could be starting for the Yankees this year. The reason he isn't is because the team opted to bring back Andy Pettitte. Next year, though, Hughes should move into the rotation full time, and the Yankees cannot afford to stunt his growth. He might get outs as a reliever, but as we know from the long drawn-out Joba Chamberlain discussion, Hughes' real value lies in his potential to excel as a starter.
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You definitely don't want to make too much out of one outing. For now, Hughes is contributing at the Big League level because he has the talent and ability to do so. He also has the talent and ability to be a successful Major League starter. The Yankees know this, and the team's fans shouldn't get seduced, yet again, by a starter throwing a few innings of relief. It didn't make sense to keep Joba in the pen, and it doesn't with Hughes either.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Rob Neyer
Neyer is a senior writer at ESPN.com. He began his career with legendary baseball author (and now Red Sox executive) Bill James, then joined Stats Inc. and wrote about MLB, the NFL and the NBA. Neyer joined ESPN.com in 1996, and it's believed that he's written more words for the site than anybody.
Neyer moved to Kansas City in 1976, just in time for the Royals' first division title, and fell in love almost immediately. He attended the University of Kansas the same four years as Danny Manning, and is now happy to wait another 20 years for the Jayhawks' next championship.