Phil Hughes

Philip Joseph "Phil" Hughes (born June 24, 1986) is an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the New York Yankees from 2007 through 2013. He stands 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighs 240 pounds (110 kg). He was the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 MLB Draft.

During his time in the Yankees' minor-league system, Hughes was one of the most highly anticipated prospects in baseball, but his major league career has thus far been marked by inconsistency. 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. Hughes began 2009 in the minors but later returned to the major leagues, eventually converting to a relief pitcher in June; 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.

Upon returning to the starting rotation in 2010, he won 18 games and earned his first All-Star selection. Arm fatigue cost Hughes nearly half of the season in 2011, but the following year, he stayed healthy for the entire season, winning 16 games as the Yankees' third starter. In 2013, he had his worst season, posting a 4–14 win–loss record and 5.19 earned run average, a performance that led to him being removed from the rotation. The following year, Hughes had a turnaround season with the Twins, where he went 16-10 with an ERA of 3.52 that resulted in him placing 7th in American League Cy Young Award voting.