5/17/14

Phil Hughes is having an All-Star season and were several signs that this would be the case

Phil Hughes so far (8 starts, about a quarter of the season) has been the Minnesota Twins' best pitcher and should definitely have All-Star consideration.   In addition to his old school 4-1, 3.61 ERA, he has 7.6 K/9, 6.7 K/BB, and 1.225 WHIP.  This translates to a 41.6 PE, which is in Ace territory.  Take into consideration that he achieved that with a .326 BABIP (thanks to the Twins' playing catchers, shortstops and designated hitters at the outfield), and his numbers become ever more impressive:  Adjusted WHIP: 1.09, xPE: 46.8, FIP 2.94.  The strikeouts (20.3% K-rate and 7.6 K/9) are especially a welcome departure from the usual for the Twins.



Last season was a horrible season for Hughes, but still his K-rate was high (and has been,  it has 18.9% and 20.3%, last season and the season before last, respectively) and was going deep into games.  This game, against the eventual AL West champions, could have been a mirror image of his last appearance with the Twins:









All in all, Phil Hughes is up to a great start and it should not be all that surprising.  According to this analysis, he was a solid two to three starter last season, and based on this analysis, he was a good, but not a top 3, pitcher for the Twins to target last off-season.

5/13/14

Full Game Video: Game 7 of 1965 World Series Los Angeles Dodgers at Minnesota Twins

Great video of the original telecast. Full length. Plus introductory highlights of the earlier games. Great opportunity to see some of the Twins' greats play.