After an injury-plagued and ineffective 2008, both right-handers have to re-establish their place in the pecking order. And that’s fine with them.
"[Anyone] could make excuses all they want. I thought I was ready," Kennedy said. "Obviously, other people thought I was ready … but it was a learning process.
"Phil and I, we talked about it. We both feel the same way," Kennedy said. "We know we had to get better."
Asked if too much, too soon was expected of him, Hughes said he didn’t think so.
"I was given a great opportunity, and I didn’t come through," said Hughes, after he pitched two scoreless, hitless innings against the Rays on Thursday, in his Grapefruit League debut start.
"I didn’t think I was ill-prepared, or too young, or whatever it was," Hughes said of 2008. "I struggled out of the gate, and got hurt."
The both seem to have the right attitude, which is good, but that will only take them so far."I kind of matured myself, baseball-wise," Kennedy said, after a lat injury helped derail his season. Pitching in Puerto Rico this winter, Kennedy said he learned how to make quicker in-game adjustments.
"I mean, I never really struggled like that before," Kennedy said of 2008. "It was frustrating, failing that much. I think I could compete at the big-league level, but I wasn’t performing to my ability."
When he wasn’t recalled to the Yankees in September, he made a personal vow.
"I said, I don’t want to be left home again, watching games on TV," Kennedy said. "I’m going to work my butt off, no matter what."
As I've said before I'm still confident that Hughes will turn out to be a very good pitcher. He has major league stuff, and once he fine tunes his changeup and/or slider I think he'll be able to succeed consistently at the major league level.
However, I'm not really sure what to think about Ian Kennedy. Like Hughes, he's been great at every level (except the majors), but unlike Hughes, he doesn't have the same high-quality stuff. And without top of the line pitches he pretty much has to put the ball exactly where he wants it to get major league hitters out.
Another issue that both pitchers dealt with last year was how easily they would get rattled on the mound. Instead of giving up one run and getting out of the jam they'd getting rattled and end up allowing a big inning. The good thing is at least Kennedy is aware of it and as the article says, he has "learned how to make quicker in-game adjustments." Hopefully Hughes will do the same.
They will have their chance again. There is no reason to believe they won't be successful in AAA once again, and at some point this season you know a pitcher will go down with an injury and miss a couple starts. Hopefully the next time they are more prepared than they were last year.
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