I was ready to stick with Anibal Sanchez this week. Sure he gave up six runs in the first inning against the Mets, but then he shut them down for the next five. That seemed to bode as well as anything for his Saturday start.
Tuesday, we learned the Phil Hughes was being called up to start for the Yankees and that was it for Anibal Sanchez.
Hughes, like fellow prospect Ian Kennedy, is a strikeout talent who has stumbled badly at the major league level. The question is when he’ll get his act together. For comparison, Jonathan Sanchez came out of the minors with 11.9 Ks per nine IP and posted a 5.01 ERA in his first full major league season.
The difference, in my mind, is control. In 330 minor league innings, Hughes has had a WHIP of 0.92 and 2.2 walks per nine IP. Jonathan Sanchez had 3.5. Even this season, with his 2.60 ERA, Sanchez has already walked 12 in 17 IP. I’d rather gamble on Hughes.
No comments yet.