When Phil Hughes signed with the Twins, I thought he might do a good job in the middle of the rotation. He has long been known as a fly ball pitcher and Target Field's deep power alleys were likely to turn some long drives into outs and doubles instead of home runs.
I think he has exceeded almost everyone's expectations. I looked at his rankings in the "pitching triple crown" and was surprised to see that he was tied for first in wins in the AL. Given that the Twins are double digits under .500, that is an admirable achievement. Further, Hughes has 148 strikeouts (10th in AL) and has an fair chance to get to 200. I believe Liriano made it to 200 in 2010, but who was the last right hander to get to or exceed 200 Ks in a season?
Hughes' ERA of 3.65 ranks 27th, nothing to write home about, but given the poor range of several of the players in the field behind him, I think even that number is a real positive surprise.
The future for Hughes is pretty bright, given his age and health. Can we imagine how disappointing this season would be if Hughes and Suzuki weren't picked up this past off season?