Michael Salfino of SNY.tv talked to a National League scout who covers the American League and Baseball America’s John Manuel to get an update on how Yankees prospects are progressing in fall and winter leagues. Here’s what they said about Phil Hughes:

“Fastball velocity and command will be the key for Hughes,” says Manuel, busy putting the finishing touches on Baseball America’s fine Prospect Handbook (slated to be released Dec. 19 and available at BaseballAmerica.com).” If he’s 89-92, as he was most of the AFL, he’s got to have better command. If he’s 90-93, it can be just control, not necessarily command. It sounds to me like the scouting consensus is more mid-rotation than ace these days. The obvious first step is to just stay healthy; he’s done that exactly once in his career, 2006.”

But it’s that disappointing injury history that gives our scout hope that Hughes can beat current market projections of a No. 3 starter.

“Hughes is sliding unfairly because he hasn’t been healthy. When you’re always rehabbing from injury, your velocity will suffer. What we have here is the expectation game. Calling him a No. 1-level ace was never fair. But to me he still looks like he can be a No. 2 guy to me on a championship-caliber team.

“If he is going to be stuck at 91, then he’s a No. 3 guy,” the scout continues. “But I think he’ll get back to being a tick higher, 92-to-94 mph. That’s the key to what he becomes. Again, a lot of this is expectations. We get silly published reports that guys like Hughes throw 95 or 97 when maybe they’ve done it a few times on someone’s gun. People expect that and then keep asking, ‘Where’s the 97-mph fastball?’”

Click here to read Salfino’s entire feature.