Former Yankees, Twins Pitcher Phil Hughes Retires After 12-Year MLB Career

Former New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes announced his retirement Sunday after 12 seasons in MLB.

Hughes hasn't appeared in a professional game since 2018, when he enjoyed 23 outings split between the Twins and the San Diego Padres.

He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Yankees, who drafted him in the first round (No. 23 overall) out of high school in 2004.

Hughes helped the team to a World Series championship in 2009, amassing a career-best 3.03 ERA out of the bullpen. A year later, he was named an All-Star, finishing the 2010 campaign with a 4.19 ERA and 146 strikeouts with 58 walks.

He joined the Twins in free agency ahead of the 2014 season, when he finished seventh in voting for the American League Cy Young Award with a 3.52 ERA, 186 strikeouts and 16 home runs allowed.

He struggled through injuries during the final seasons of his career, appearing in 49 games from 2016 to 2018. The Twins designated him for assignment in May 2018, and he was traded to the Padres, where he tossed 20.2 innings across 16 outings and gave up 14 runs.

The book officially closes on Hughes' 12-year career with him posting a 4.52 ERA through 290 appearances, with an 88-79 record across 211 starts.

Hughes' place in Yankees history was cemented this offseason when he received an invite to the club's Old-Timers' Day celebration despite seven players invited to camp who were the same age or older than the 33-year-old.

In his time away from the field, Hughes has focused on running his card collecting YouTube channel, Phil's Pulls, which has amassed more than 60,000 subscribers.