Phil Hughes Named Minnesota Twins Opening Day Starter
I hope you weren’t looking for a battle for the Opening Day starter, because the Minnesota Twins have already announced who it will be. Yes, on the first day of camp.
Well, the suspense is gone. If he's healthy, Phil Hughes will be the opening day starter. #mntwins
— Derek Wetmore (@DerekWetmore) February 23, 2015
Twinsights: Phil Hughes penciled in as #MNTwins Opening Day starter. Would be a career first. http://t.co/08xTjRP0Jp
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) February 23, 2015
Paul Molitor said on Monday that Phil Hughes will be the clubs’ Opening Day starter if he’s healthy. No health concerns at the moment, so if Hughes gets through the next month and change, he’ll be the guy on day one.
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This will be Hughes’ first Opening Day start.
2015 will be Hughes’ second season with the Twins after an incredible first go-round with the club. Last season Hughes went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA in 209.2 innings pitched with a 1.130 WHIP. And he only walked 16 batters the whole season in 32 starts.
Hughes finished seventh in the Cy Young award voting and, of course, would have finished better if the Minnesota Twins hadn’t yet again lost 90 games in 2014. Nevertheless, congrats to Mr. Hughes.
The decision to tap Hughes as the Opening Day starter does not come as a shock. Hughes is the clear best returning pitcher for the Twins. Only Ervin Santana really had a chance to take it away, but since he is a new comer, it was a long shot anyway.
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