Even all these years after the start of the free agency era, it’s still fashionable to bash the Yankees for a the team’s high priced, aging, imported talent.
But right now, the two best Yankees on the 40-man roster are sub-30 homegrown players. Phil Hughes continued his remarkable season last night–pitching 7 innings last night, allowing 6 hits, one run, striking out 7, and walking one. He’s 7-1 with a 2.54 and a 1.04 WHIP and continues to be one of the best pitcher in the league: fourth in ERA, second in wins, third in WHIP.
The Yanks are about to put Hughes on an long rest schedule in an attempt to limit his innings but still have him available for the playoffs. I know there’s been a lot of criticism of the Joba rules and now the Hughes rules, but in truth, the case that increasing innings totals year over year by too much leads to injury in young pitchers is a strong one so I’m all for limits on Hughes’ innings now in the hopes that this 23 year old 4-pitch pitcher can be a dominant Yankee starter for another dozen years.
As good as Hughes has been Robinson Cano has been better. I must say I didn’t think Cano had it in him. I knew he was a good hitter with great natural talent. But he always seemed to think far too little at the plate. A free swinger he never worked a count to get a better pitch, and his at bats with runners in scoring position–when pitchers are really bearing down–always seemed lazy and unfocused. Not any more. Apparently after an off season talking to from Alex Rodriguez, Cano has taken his game to another level.
And what a level. Cano leads the league in hitting at a whopping .373. He’s third in RBI, tied for 4th in homers, and, perhaps most shockingly for Cano, he’s fourth in OBP at .412! Hell, Cano already has 13 walks–during his first couple of seasons that would have been in the ballpark of a season total! Cano has also become a great second baseman–not only making the double play better anyone else in the league, but ranging widely, using his powerful arm to get outs on balls hit up the middle, and no longer making sloppy errors on easy grounders. At 27 Cano is peaking and it’s amazing to watch.
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