Phil Hughes Needs To Be in Yankee Rotation

For years, we heard about the top prospect in the Yankees' system and how he was a top-of-the-line pitcher.

The Yankees refused to send him to the Minnesota Twins and bring us back Johan Santana.

That top prospect was Phil Hughes.

Hughes is no longer a prospect. He's been up and down with the Yankees since 2007. We all know who he is now.

They originally brought him up in 2007, and in his second start, threw a no-hitter through six-plus innings before a freak injury knocked out Hughes for four months.

Hughes came back in September and helped the Yankees make the Wild Card. Hughes then came in relief in Game Three of the ALCS against the Indians after Roger Clemens left with an injury and saved the Yankees by pitching tremendously and helped the Yankees win their only playoff game that season.

Hughes was then given a rotation spot for 2008, but apparently was pitching the start of the season hurt and was placed on the DL for most of the season.

Hughes returned in September, and again, we saw the glimpse. A game against Toronto last September, Hughes went inning-for-inning against A.J. Burnett, who killed the Yankees last season, and again, pitched brilliantly.

For the beginning part of 2009, Hughes has started out in Scranton. He was called up because Chien-Ming Wang went on the DL early.

Since being called up, Hughes has had only one bad start in early April against Baltimore. Other than that, Hughes has looked like the guy we all heard about.

His fastball is around 95 with live movement; not the 92 MPH fastball that was getting hammered when he was hurt in 2008, 95 with movement. His 12-to-six curve ball is as lethal of pitch in the majors.

But best of all, he's pitching with confidence. When you see Hughes on the mound, he has that look. He knows he can strike hitters out and he knows he can get people out. Maybe he finally got rid of the injury bug that bothered him, but he looks like a different guy in 2009.

If the Yankees are looking to put the best people out there to win, Phil Hughes needs to be in the rotation, not as a reliever. Brian Bruney is your setup man, not Hughes. And right now, Hughes is pitching better and going deeper into games than Wang and Joba Chamberlain have.

Enough is enough. Hughes is only 23. But he's earning it this year. Let Hughes stay in the rotation.