Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. Remember these two guys? They were expected to win 25-30 games between them during the Yanks' 2008 season before getting hit hard and injured over the first month of the season. So what happened? Are these temporary setbacks or an example of two over-hyped prospects? Didn't Cashman nix a deal for Johan Santana to keep these two guys in our stable of young pitchers?
Well, Yankees fans, there's good news and there's bad news. First, the good. Hughes is still one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball--let alone in the Yankees system. Two quirky injuries in two years may be cause for concern, but I think it's just that: quirky, flukey, nothing to worry about. Don't forget, at the start of this season Hughes was the second youngest player in MLB (behind Homer Bailey). That's player, not just pitcher. By the time he hits the age of 24 or 25, Yankee fans will have long forgotten about a pulled hamstring and a ribcage injury--and all those ugly starts he had this season.
The bad news is Ian Kennedy. The comparisons we hear most often are to Mike Mussina. Love or hate the Moose, that's good company for Kennedy to keep. In fact, it's too good. Kennedy has neither the stuff nor the command of a young Mussina, nor does he appear to be as intelligent as the Stanford-educated former Oriole. My suggestion? Get him healthy, get him some starts in AAA, and trade him for a prospect position player (something the Yankees lack in their own farm system).
