Jared Hughes

In the time you read this sentence, Hughes just generated another groundball. The former Pirates and Brewers right-hander fit right in with the Reds in 2018, generating groundballs on 65.4% of the balls put in play. That propensity to keep the ball on the ground (and with that, in the park), combined with a .252 BABIP against, allowed him to post career-low ratios (1.94 ERA and 1.02 WHIP). He relies heavily on his sinker to generate those grounders, throwing it 77% of the time. Both his sinker and slider were plus pitches last season, and that allowed him to throw his four-seamer less frequently. Hughes recorded 17 holds and seven saves as Raisel Iglesias' primary setup man with this arsenal in 2018 and will fill a similar role in 2019. Much like teammate David Hernandez, Hughes came at a bargain-basement rate, signing for $4.5 million over two years prior to the 2018 season.

Few pitchers rely on one pitch as much as Hughes does. He throws a 93-mph sinking fastball 75.5 percent of the time, inducing groundballs at a 57.9 percent clip. For parts of six seasons, Pittsburgh relied on him to throw the key double-play ball, but in 2016 he lost his command and his numbers suffered. He posted an 8.6 percent walk rate and struck out opponents at a 13.2 percent clip, which ranked fourth-worst among qualified big league relievers. Hughes, who compiled a 3.03 ERA (4.77 xFIP) and 1.42 WHIP in 59.1 innings, collected only four holds just one season after earning 21 holds. With three saves in his career, the right-hander offers little in the way of fantasy value. Look for him to man a low-leverage role in 2016.

Hughes threw a 93.1 mph sinking fastball 81.5% of the time in 2015, inducing groundballs at a 63.7% clip. The 6-foot-7 right-hander collected a career-high 21 holds to go along with a 2.28 ERA in 67 innings. Oddly, he duplicated a 36:19 K:BB ratio for the second straight season, but allowed 19 more hits in only 2.2 more innings than he threw in 2014. Regardless, fantasy owners know what they’re going to get with Hughes: 15-20 holds, a sub-3.00 ERA and very few saves — he hasn’t earned a save since 2012.

Hughes re-discovered his sinking fastball in 2014, crafting a 1.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 64.1 innings for the Pirates. While his strikeout rate dropped (5.0 K/9), the righty lowered his walks (2.7 BB/9) and induced more groundballs than ever (64.6%). Pittsburgh prefers to use him as a middle-innings reliever because of his ability to pitch multiple innings. He compiled seven relief wins and a career-high 13 holds, but didn't record a save. Outside of leagues that reward holds, Hughes doesn't offer much value as he's unlikely to become a ninth-inning option for Pittsburgh.

Hughes was pretty much the weak link of a strong Pittsburgh bullpen at the beginning of 2013. He posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in April before being demoted to Triple-A. He went on the disabled list a month later and bounced between the Pirates and Indianapolis the rest of the way. Hughes will look to rediscover his sinking fastball, which resulted in an effective 65.5% groundball rate in his 2011 rookie campaign. That number dropped to a still decent 56.3% mark in 2013, but when a pitcher relies on one pitch alone, he leaves little room for error. His stock within the organization is likely lower than it's been in several years. Most likely, Hughes will need to rediscover that sinking fastball and prove he's totally healthy before getting another chance at the major-league level.

To say that Hughes is a one-pitch pony would discount his effectiveness, but it's not far from the truth. Hughes primarily used a sinking fastball to coax groundballs (59.6 percent rate) out of batters en route to a 2.85 ERA in 75.2 innings. His 4.05 FIP suggests he was a little lucky. It's possible the team could turn him into its next closer -- he saved a pair of games in 2012 -- but his ability to pitch multiple innings might make the former starter better suited for setup duty. Hughes is a work in progress when it comes to holding baserunners on -- opponents went 17-for-17 stealing bases against him. If and when the league figures out his sinking fastball, he might encounter additional difficulties retiring batters as he has no other reliable pitch.

After five and a half years of mediocre minor league showings, something clicked for the 26-year-old righty. Hughes compiled a 2.11 ERA in 42.2 Triple-A innings before making his major league debut in September. The 6-foot-7 giant throws fairly hard (92.9 mph fastball) but really benefits from a quirky delivery. He showed off good mound presence in high-leverage situations and will get a chance in 2012 to build upon his decent major league start. He'll compete for a sixth-inning role with the Bucs in spring training.