Houston’s Collin McHugh: The Evolution Of A Renaissance Man

The Houston Astros’ Collin McHugh could have stopped pitching a week before Christmas in 2013, and no one would have blamed him.

Currently an anchor in Houston’s starting rotation, McHugh pitched 5 innings in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, August 24, and picked up the win (8-10, 5.01), helping the Astros nail down a 5-2 road trip, in their 5-4 win over the Pirates.

Video: Watch McHugh and catcher Evan Gattis discuss Wednesday’s victory

Collin Long Distance

McHugh was drafted by the New York Mets in the 18th round in 2008 out of tiny Division III Berry College, just north of Rome, 78 miles NW of Atlanta.

He toiled for the Mets in their farm system, riding the organizational elevator for a few years with a middling 90 mph fastball to moderate success.

Met With Resistance

After frustrating turns with the Mets for parts of two years (0-5, 8.94 ERA in 28.1 IP), McHugh was traded to the Colorado Rockies in June, 2013. Four starts with the Rockies yielded a similar outcome: 19 IP, 0-3 record, with a 9.95 ERA. His batting average against was a bewilderingly inflated .384, with many of those hits home runs.

December 16, 2013 became the day McHugh could have tossed in his resin bag with little rebuttal. Colorado designated him for assignment, and before McHugh’s resin bag could hit the ground, Houston, armed with their computers and phalanx of saber stats, signed him two days later.

Another life-altering event occurred, coincidentally or not, at about this time, as well. More on that later.

Little did McHugh know, but the Astros took a stab at him when the Mets were dangling his availability.

McHugh addressed this unforeseen attraction by the Astros prior to last year’s ALDS with the Royals: “More than anything, they just said, ‘We like what you have; we like your stuff; we like your makeup; go out there and pitch. Go out there and prove us right,’ more or less.”

Spin City

What GM Jeff Luhnow and the Astros’ insiders saw in McHugh that others missed by just looking at a pile of shallow stats, was revealed in an August, 2014 Bloomberg article, in the right-handed pitcher’s breakout year with the Astros (11-9, 2.73):

“The Astros’ analysts noticed that McHugh had a world-class curveball. Most curves spin at about 1,500 times per minute; McHugh’s spins 2,000 times (actually, 2,538 rpm, according to MLB.com/Statcast). The more spin, the more the ball moves during the pitch—and the more likely batters are to miss it. Houston snapped him up.

“’We identified him as someone whose surface statistics might not indicate his true value,’” says David Stearns, then the team’s assistant general manager (now Milwaukee’s GM).

“After consulting with the analytics staff, pitching coach Brent Strom altered McHugh’s repertoire. Gone was the sinker. In its place, McHugh began throwing more four-seam fastballs. And he started throwing them high in the strike zone.

“This defied the standard wisdom that pitching up is dangerous, since good hitters can crush fastballs.”

So, ditching his sinker, he began throwing more four-seam fastballs, pitching aggressively up in the zone. Using his cutter in a variety of scenarios, too, allows him to use his curve more effectively.

“I’ve seen that curveball for a number of years,” rotation mate, and last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel said about McHugh’s highlight pitch. “I played one summer in the Cape with him and that curveball is one of the best curveballs I’ve ever seen.”

Pitching behind Keuchel in Houston’s rotation, McHugh reached his MLB zenith during Houston’s run to the playoffs last year by logging a glistening 19-7 record, with a 3.89 ERA in 203.2 innings.

This year, McHugh’s .305 BAA is higher than it should be for someone who’s logged nearly a strikeout an inning (141 in 142 innings). But, he’s pitched his first major league complete game this season.

Pitcher ‘n’ the Rye

Right about the time, in late 2013, when the Rockies found him suddenly expendable, and the Astros found him imminently desirable, McHugh began a gluten-free diet.

Found mostly in wheat products, McHugh has said that he gave up the protein “Because I felt so much better.”

Suffering most of his life with an undiagnosed stomach pain, he simply decided to cut out gluten from his diet.

“I had stomach cramps, had to go to the bathroom immediately after every meal,” McHugh recounts. “It was brutal.” Dropping gluten, the 6’2″ 29-year-old estimates he lost 25 to 30 pounds, and noticed an up-tick in stamina, as well. He’s down, now, to 190 pounds.

Big breakfasts are still in play, though, as eggs, potatoes and bacon are well within bounds, but pastry items throw him a curve.

“You just learn to snack differently,” he said in a recent interview. “You eat more fruit and nuts.”

Moreover, McHugh concludes, “Just from a holistic point of view, it helps everything. It helps you get your work in a little easier; you’re not dragging as much. Over the course of a 162-game grind, it’s good to be at your best or close to your best every day.”

Pitch? Perfect

While many of us are busy bumping into trees playing Pokémon GO or binge-watching Criminal Minds, Collin McHugh can pick up a saxophone, bass clarinet, or a ukulele, and riff the night away. Drum? He can do that, too.

Leaning to the Write

Adding another talent arrow to his ability quiver, McHugh started writing a personal and thought-provoking blog, “A Day Older, A Day Wiser” in 2009. One entry encapsulates his philosophy of dealing with the everyday flotsam on the field and in the clubhouse:

“Your neuroses about what the team has ‘planned’ for you aren’t helping anything. You will only drive yourself crazy obsessing over stuff you can’t control…oh, and your wife will appreciate this one even more than you do. Thank her every day for reminding you to calm the *** down.”

“To have an organization that’s going to put some faith in you and give you a shot is huge,” McHugh said a year ago. “I couldn’t be happier playing with these guys and having them play behind me.”

Video: Watch a June, 2016 interview with McHugh, as he discusses his vegetable gardening, bobblehead collection, and more!

Coming Up

The Astros look to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in a weekend series at Minute Maid Park.

Collin McHugh leads his team against the Oakland A’s beginning Monday, August 29, as Houston continues the homestand, and tries to inch closer to the AL West Division-leading Texas Rangers.

McHugh next takes the mound Tuesday, August 30, vs the A’s.

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