The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Hughes releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 15 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
412 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Hughes's sinker moves 115.8 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
212 thrown, averaging 91.3 mph.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Hughes throws a fastball 66.4% of the time, against 40.9% when he is ahead.
116 pitches behind in the count, 115 ahead.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his offspeed pitches: a .404 expected average against them, against .300 on his breaking balls.
59 of his offspeed pitches thrown.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Hughes works off the plate, with only 34.2% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 638th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Hughes's sinker leaves the bat at 86.0 mph, against 75.9 off his curveball.
212 and 109 of them thrown.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Hughes lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.97 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
412 located pitches in 2020.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
10.2% of Hughes's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
42 of 412 located pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Hughes goes to the curveball: 38.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.6% the rest of the time.
116 two-strike pitches in 2020.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Hughes's stuff spins at 1,968 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
412 pitches in 2020. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 611th in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Hughes's sinker averages 91.3 mph, and has touched 94.1.
212 thrown, 51.5% of his pitches.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Hughes is weak: 84.6 mph off the bat on average, 91st percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 57th in MLB.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Hughes puts 36.1% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 31.3% of his pitches to left-handers.
249 pitches to right-handed hitters, 163 to left-handed hitters.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Hughes works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Curveball, Changeup and 4-Seam Fastball. The sinker is 51.5% of everything he throws.
412 classified pitches in 2020.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Hughes puts 44.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 25.2% when he is ahead.
116 located pitches behind, 115 ahead.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Hughes throws the changeup 25.8% of the time against left-handers and 6.8% against right-handers.
249 pitches to right-handers, 163 to left-handers.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Hughes averages 87.6 mph across his arsenal, 34th percentile in the league.
412 pitches in 2020. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 431st in MLB.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Hughes throws 36.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 33.2% with the bases empty.
135 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 277 with the bases empty.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Hughes gives up is hit hard, 75th percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 163rd in MLB.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Hughes lands 37.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 25.4% of his offspeed pitches.
244 of his fastballs, 59 of his offspeed pitches.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Hughes projects a .320 average, 75th percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 164th in MLB.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Hughes throws a strike on the first pitch 63.9% of the time.
108 plate appearances started in 2020.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Hughes releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
412 tracked pitches in 2020.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.5 mph separates Hughes's sinker from his curveball, 91.3 against 80.8.
212 and 109 of them respectively.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Hughes releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 15 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
412 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Hughes releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
412 tracked pitches in 2020.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Hughes's sinker moves 115.8 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
212 thrown, averaging 91.3 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Hughes throws a fastball 66.4% of the time, against 40.9% when he is ahead.
116 pitches behind in the count, 115 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Hughes goes to the curveball: 38.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.6% the rest of the time.
116 two-strike pitches in 2020.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Hughes puts 44.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 25.2% when he is ahead.
116 located pitches behind, 115 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Hughes throws a strike on the first pitch 63.9% of the time.
108 plate appearances started in 2020.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his offspeed pitches: a .404 expected average against them, against .300 on his breaking balls.
59 of his offspeed pitches thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Hughes lands 37.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 25.4% of his offspeed pitches.
244 of his fastballs, 59 of his offspeed pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Hughes works off the plate, with only 34.2% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 638th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Hughes's sinker leaves the bat at 86.0 mph, against 75.9 off his curveball.
212 and 109 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Hughes's sinker averages 91.3 mph, and has touched 94.1.
212 thrown, 51.5% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Hughes works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Curveball, Changeup and 4-Seam Fastball. The sinker is 51.5% of everything he throws.
412 classified pitches in 2020.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Hughes throws the changeup 25.8% of the time against left-handers and 6.8% against right-handers.
249 pitches to right-handers, 163 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.5 mph separates Hughes's sinker from his curveball, 91.3 against 80.8.
212 and 109 of them respectively.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Hughes lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.97 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
412 located pitches in 2020.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
10.2% of Hughes's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
42 of 412 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Hughes's stuff spins at 1,968 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
412 pitches in 2020. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 611th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Hughes is weak: 84.6 mph off the bat on average, 91st percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 57th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Hughes gives up is hit hard, 75th percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 163rd in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Hughes projects a .320 average, 75th percentile.
412 pitches in 2020. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 164th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Hughes puts 36.1% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 31.3% of his pitches to left-handers.
249 pitches to right-handed hitters, 163 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Hughes averages 87.6 mph across his arsenal, 34th percentile in the league.
412 pitches in 2020. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 431st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Hughes throws 36.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 33.2% with the bases empty.
135 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 277 with the bases empty.
Pirates
Career team 2011–2016