Article: Phil Hughes Ready For Regular Season

[Parker Hageman]

On the back fields of the Twins’ spring training complex, a relay throw away from the sparkling new minor league facility, starter Phil Hughes was putting the finishing touches on his preseason work against a group of Rays prospects.

 

The outing went as expected. For the most part Hughes manhandled an inexperienced lineup save for a two-run home run by first base prospect Jake Bauers which Hughes claimed came on a curve that he failed to bury.“I threw him a good backdoor cutter that he fouled off, a good fastball that he fouled off and then I threw him a terrible curveball,” Hughes said. “I was a little ticked.”

 

In their next meeting, Hughes provided the Rays’ hitter with an education in major league pitching and how to expand the strike zone, punctuated with his patent backdown cutter.

 

Like a fair number of Hughes’ strikeouts with the cutter, the pitch skirted around the strike zone. Because he hit his target with such precision, catcher Kurt Suzuki barely moving an eyelash, the umpire punched him out looking. In disbelief, Bauers lingered in the box after the inning-ended strikeout, he mumbled “that’s not a strike” to the ump while shaking his head. The slow walk back to the dugout was followed with more disagreement.

 

“He seemed like he had an attitude.” Hughes joked.

 

In all, Hughes looked sharp and pounded the strike zone like business as usual. Hughes ripped out 70 pitches and threw another twenty in the bullpen to work on finishing his curveball and emphasizing his arm speed.

 

The start also including several changeups and a few more in the bullpen session. One change prompted both pitching coach Neil Allen and Suzuki to let him know how good that pitch was moving.

 

“I’ve never been a guy with great feel for it,” Hughes said of the pitch. “I just have to make sure that my arm speed is good and that I’m just releasing it out

front. I threw a couple good ones in the bullpen afterwards just to mix it in and get a little feel.”

 

Pitch data suggests that Hughes threw about a dozen changeups last year but the side work where he can focus on the feel rather than the results has helped build his confidence in the pitch.

 

“It’s feel and confidence really,” Hughes said about progress of his change. “If I’m not confident enough I won’t throw it in a game and I’ll rely on the three pitches I used primarily last year. If the feel's there and I throw it and the results are there I’ll gain confidence and I’ll throw it more.”

 

With one more start in spring between now and opening day, Hughes said he is not sure what the plan will be for the next outing. After 90 pitches on Friday, he believes that he may either ramp up to 100 pitches or throw fewer in preparation for the real games.

 

“Ideally, Neil [Allen] would want to back us off on our last start before the regular season but he also mentioned he wanted to get us throwing 100 pitches so I don’t know if this next start is going to be backed off or (go) to 100.”

 

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[ashbury]

My son and I arrived around 10:30 without a clue that the minor league games had been moved up. I saw only Hughes's last inning, where two consecutive batters walked away shaking their heads. I haven't downloaded my photos yet, but I might have caught a good one of the first of these, ducking out of the way of strike three.

[Bob Sacamento]

Yeah ashburyjohn, I got there just a little before 10 thinking I'd catching some of the warmups but they moved the 1p game up due to impending bad weather later in the day.  He looked good out there, I didn't get any video of him pitching in-game that would have required standing next to Paul Molitor but he did throw 20 or so pitches after the game in the pen that I caught a little of https://youtu.be/G-0uLKuXLJ4 

 

Met a few twinsdaily posters today, adds to the list;  I'm always surprised that it's someone older than me.  I always figured I'm the old man on these forums boy was I wrong

[USAFChief]

  I'm always surprised that it's someone older than me.  I always figured I'm the old man on these forums boy was I wrong

It's always a pleasant surprise though, ain't it?

[gil4]

 

 

 

I'm always surprised that it's someone older than me.  I always figured I'm the old man on these forums boy was I wrong

 

It's always a pleasant surprise though, ain't it?

 

Chief - I was assuming you were the one he met. 

[h2oface]

Here's to Phil having a good April, which is rare. Last year's April was forgettable, and you have to go back to 2010 I think to find a good April. Last year.... horrible April, great May, poor June and July, very fine August and September.

[Paul Pleiss]

I can't remember ever hearing this much good buzz about Rick Anderson during spring training or any other time of the year. Three cheers for Neil Allen.