Jared Hughes

Hughes entered 2003 as one of the nation's top prep prospects--ranked right with lefthander Andrew Miller, the No. 1 overall prospect this spring--only to have a so-so spring that sent his stock tumbling. He opted to attend Santa Clara, but a shakeup in the coaching staff and a difficult first season there led Hughes to transfer to Long Beach State. He isn't a strikeout pitcher and profiles for the back of the rotation, despite his big frame. His two-seam fastball sits at 90-91 mph and has average sinking life when Hughes is at his best. He has a good feel for his solid-average slider and gets a lot of groundballs with both pitches. He can throw a decent curve, and his changeup, which has cutting action in to lefthanded hitters, could become an average pitch as he throws it more often. Hughes is intelligent, and at times too analytical and just needs to stay aggressive in the strike zone. While scouts have questioned his competitiveness over the years, Long Beach State's staff has been pleased with his makeup and approach.