I really like this comparison Steve. I’m a big fan of Volquez (I picked him up in most of my fantasy drafts) and I definitely see the benefits of sending Hughes back to the minors (hell, it worked for him and others like Homer Bailey). Hughes has had mechanical issues and he’s overthrowing whenever he gets into a jam. IPK, on the other hand, appears to have some confidence issues, which are two inherently different situations. I think IPK should stay with the Yanks because he has proven himself in AAA and if he “trusts his stuff”, he seems like he’ll be fine.

I have been high on Volquez since the Rangers brought him up last year and I can’t believe they traded him away. I know they got Josh Hamilton for him but you would think a team who ALWAYS is looking for pitching wouldn’t trade away a guy with his talent.

Also, I watched Volquez pitch the other night and his stuff has ALOT more life to it than Hughes’ stuff does. Everything Hughes throws to the plate just looks flat to me…there was only one start where his stuff looked electric to me and he didn’t pitch well that night either. I think it was the game against Boston.

~~~Ian Kennedy’s starts on the year (in order): 2.1, 3, 6, 2.2, 5.

Phil Hughes’ starts on the year (in order): 6, 3, 2, 5.1, 3.2.~~~

Throw out that 1st 3 for Ian because it was not a start. Just like you threw out the 2 IP game for Hughes – because of the rain.

That makes it
6, 3, 2, 5.1, 3.2 for Hughes
and
2.1, 6, 2.2, 5 for Kennedy.

Note the trend in the last three starts:

Hughes: 2, 5.1, 3.2
Kennedy: 6, 2.2, 5

Ian has 2 of 3 with 5+ IP.
Phil has 1 of 3 with 5+ IP.

“Eerily similar”? Not really.

Make that Kennedy couldn’t get out of the third and Hughes couldn’t get out of the fourth.

Ian Kennedy’s starts on the year (in order): 2.1, 3, 6, 2.2, 5.

Phil Hughes’ starts on the year (in order): 6, 3, 2, 5.1, 3.2.

Doesn’t seem to be much difference to me, Steve. Eerily similar, actually. Kennedy couldn’t get out of the second in two starts. Hughes couldn’t get out of the third twice. They both have a game where they went at least five. And they both have a game they went six.

And in that last five-inning affair Kennedy had to throw over 100 pitches and walked four.

Neither one is pitching well.

~~~How many “Ian needs to go back to the minors” posts will we see?~~~

baileywalk – in 2 of his last 3 starts, Ian has given the Yankees 5 and 6 IP. On the season, he’s given the team 5+ IP in half his starts.

In his last 4 non-rain starts, Hughes has gone 3, 2, 5.1 and 3.2 IP.

When Kennedy is giving the Yankees as few IP as Hughes is now, then you’ll see the same recommendation from me.

I can tell there’s going to be a lot of “Phil needs to go back to the minors” posts around here. How many “Ian needs to go back to the minors” posts will we see?

They didn’t just have Volquez gain better fastball command — it sounds like they redid his entire mechanics. They also sent him all the way back to A-ball, which would make you think they thought he was a mess. I don’t think the situations are the same, especially since Phil already had some success up here.

It’s obvious that Phil has put up horrible numbers this year. Just terrible — tons of hits, not many strikeout, etc., etc. And while the results shouldn’t be THIS bad, it’s not totally unexpected that he would have his struggles. It seems like not only has he been pitching poorly, but his luck is horrendous. Just look at that game last night. Damon in center not getting to a catchable ball. A total jam shot falling in for a double. A crossup on what would have been a strikeout and then the next pitch being a home run. Getting stuck with a catcher he never met before who called a suck-ass game. The ump not calling a strike on a pitch down the middle in the inning he got knocked out of.

Well, whatever. Either he puts up a couple of decent starts or he forces the team’s hand, I guess. I’d give him another month, myself. But they’ll do whatever the hell they want to do.

I know Girardi needs to keep the team in mind and they were only down by four runs, but I would have loved Phil to stay in one of these games. Last night would have been a perfect game for him to try to get out of that inning and then maybe grind two more innings out. It would have meant a lot more to his development than another sub-4-inning outing.

No way Rasner gets 25 starts. But it would probably his job to lose for at least the next month (May has enough off days that he would only have to make 3 or 4 starts).