Born: Jun. 24, 1986
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 230
Position:
Pitcher
Phil was born in Mission Viejo, CA and is a starting pitcher for the New
York Yankees. Hughes pitched one perfect game in high school and was
planning to attend Santa Clara University but was drafted by the New York
Yankees in the first round of the 2004 draft. Hughes spent 2005, his first
professional year, split between the Yankee’s Rookie League team and the
Single-A Tampa Yankees. In 2006, at the age of 19, Hughes made his first
start with the Double-A Trenton Thunder. In November of 2006, Hughes
“arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors” was rated as the
Yankees number one prospect having the best curveball and best control in
the Yankee system. In 2007, Hughes became the second-youngest player in
the American League replacing Roger Clemens on the Yankees roster when he
left.
Pitching: He features
- 91-95 mph four-seam fastball - 87-90 mph two-seam fastball - a low 70’s
mph curveball (or spike curveball) - a developing changeup in the low to
mid 80’s
Awards and Honors:
-2004 – 1st team High School All-American Player -2005 – New York Yankees
Minor League Player of the Year -2006 – Minor League Baseball’s
End-of-Season Prospect rankings -2007 – Baseball America’s Top 100
prospects (#4)
ACE: Do you have any superstitions about grooming during season?
PH:
I don’t shave on the day I’m scheduled to pitch. When my face is freshly
shaven, it itches when I sweat, so I will usually do it the day before a
start.
ACE: What is your most embarrassing grooming moment?
PH:
When I was in the minors, I was planning giving myself a haircut with an
electric razor, but had to go to a team meeting before I got started. I
came back afterwards and forgot that I didn’t have the guard on, so I
accidentally buzzed a big strip of hair off the side of my head. I had
to buzz the whole head afterwards to even it out.
ACE: What
hair style have you had in the past that you regret the most and why?
PH:
Probably the comb-over I had when I was a kid. I sported that look from
age 5 to about 10!
ACE: What's your favorite ACE tool? Why?
PH:
I really like the clippers because of the size – you can really grip
them.
ACE: Do real men get manicures?
PH: YES!