For Phil Hughes, a Chance to Shine on a Big Postseason Stage

New York Yankee starting pitcher Phil Hughes takes the ball tonight in Game Three of the American League Division series against the Minnesota Twins. Hughes has the opportunity, on what is the biggest stage he has ever had in his career, to announce his presence as an officially big time pitcher.

Hughes is still young; he is only twenty four years old and has started fifty seven games in his three plus year career. Used mostly in the bullpen during the Yankees 2009 World Series winning campaign, Hughes proved valuable then as a setup man to Mariano Rivera. This year, however, Hughes was really the Yankees second or third starting pitcher and pitched mostly well. His record was 18 and 8 to go along with a 4.19 earned run average.

Hughes was brilliant during the first half of the season, as he went 11 and 2 with a 3.65 earned run average. He did struggle some in the second half with a 7 and 6 record and a 4.90 earned run average.

His potential has been talked about by the Yankee organization for years as it has touted him as a potential ace. He seemed to be ascending to that early on in his career, as he was pitching a no-hitter through 6.2 innings in his rookie season in 2007 before pulling his hamstring, forcing him to leave the game and to miss most of the rest of the season.

In 2008, he was hurt again as it was revealed that he was pitching with a broken rib, and he fared miserably, going 0 and 4 and starting only 8 games before being sent down to the minors.

As well as he pitched in the bullpen last year and as important as he was to the Yankees championship run, this was truly his breakout year and tonight he leap frogs over AJ Burnett (who is on the Yankees roster but out of the rotation for at least the first round of the playoffs) and makes the Game Three start with the Yankees having the opportunity to wrap up the series and advance to the American League Championship Series.

Hughes faces a tough task tonight. While the Yankees certainly appear to be the better team thus far through the first two games, the Minnesota Twins are a gutty and disciplined group. They are not at all likely to roll over and concede the series to the Yankees.

As this is his first post season start ever, Phil Hughes has the opportunity to show the world that he can take on a team like the Twins in a potentially deciding game and be the big time front end of the rotation starter that the Yankees believe they have.

Source:

BaseballReference Phil Hughes Page
ESPN Division Series Playoff Page