Gabriel Hughes ready to make it after comeback from Tommy John
In his comeback from Tommy John, Gabriel Hughes took cues from Camus.
Hughes, the Rockies' first-round pick in 2022, returned to the mound in instructional league a little over a month ago after missing all of the 2024 minor-league season. While he was recovering from surgery, Hughes dove into a heady, philosophic reading list that included "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus, "Existentialism Is a Humanism" by Jean-Paul Sartre and "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius.
Camus' work struck a significant cord with the right-hander and underscored his mindset amid a rehabilitation that lasted over a year.
"In these books, we're trying to figure out how to deal with the inevitable bad things that happen in life, and after surgery, those were really what I was trying to find an answer to," Hughes said. "One of my favorite parables was right at the end of 'The Myth of Sisyphus' when Camus talks about Sisyphus gaining mastery of his fate, and pushing the boulder up the mountain over and over and over again.
"As soon as he became conscious of it, he was superior to his fate. And (Camus) might imagine Sisyphus happy, because that struggle towards the heights in and of itself is enough to fill a man's heart. I really like that way of looking at it — because that daily grind, the struggle, that's it for me."
Hughes, who made it to Hartford in his first full professional season in 2023, saw his career derailed on July 9 of last year when he discovered a Grade 2 tear in his UCL. Had he stayed healthy, Hughes would've been on the major-league radar this summer, and possibly even in line for his debut.
Instead, Hughes had to hit the reset button, which he says gave him time to reflect on the inconsistencies of that season in which he posted a 6.21 ERA across 14 starts in High-A Spokane and Double-A.
His reflection included an honest assessment of the mental side of his game, and how he would often let his performance in an outing dictate his baseball self-worth until his next start.
"The highs were really high, and the lows were really low," Hughes admitted. "... Sometimes, the snowball started rolling and I just couldn't stop it. There were a couple of outings where I'd get to the fourth or fifth inning, and give up eight or nine runs. I had blowup innings and I couldn't seem to stop them, and this happened multiple times."
Now, after 15 months away from a true game environment, Hughes is ready to re-emerge.
The 23-year-old will be pitching for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League, which starts this week. His fastball velocity, which dipped into the low-90s in the time leading up to his injury, is back up to 93-95 mph. He thinks there could be more in the tank, too, as he also continues to hone his curveball, slider and changeup.
Hughes sees his opportunity to compete against baseball's top prospects in the AFL as a chance to make a statement heading into 2025 when he hopes to earn his first invite to major league spring training and put himself on track to make a push in the upper minors.
"Thinking longer-term, my goal is to make it so I can't be ignored," Hughes said. "I want to make it hard for the decision-makers to not take me seriously going into the 2025 season."
In the meantime, Hughes' dive into classic literature continues.
The Gonzaga University product is currently reading "The Ethics of Ambiguity" by Simone de Beauvoir, which he says has layered applications to his next professional step. Hughes has put an increased emphasis on the details of his preparation, including sleep, nutrition, weight lifting and recovery.
"In order to be the athlete I want to be, it comes down to the actions I take to get there," Hughes said. "It's about ensuring that when I look back at the end of this process (to get to the majors), I left no stone unturned."
Rockies prospects in 2024 Arizona Fall League
The AFL begins this week, with the Salt River Rafters (a team filled with top prospects from the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Twins and Yankees) playing their first game on Tuesday at Salt River Fields. The season concludes with the championship on Nov. 16.
- Ryan Ritter, SS (No. 12 MLB.com-ranked prospect)
- Michael Prosecky, LHP (No. 17)
- Gabriel Hughes, RHP (No. 22)
- McCade Brown, RHP
- Jose Cordova, C
- Juan Guerrero, OF
- Evan Justice, LHP
- Skyler Messinger, INF (Niwot High School alum)
- Carlos Torres, RHP
Rockies projected rotation in 2026
Colorado hopes its focus on pitching in the draft starts to pay dividends in a couple of years with the emergence of top starting prospects. In 2026, German Marquez will be a free agent, and the Rockies may not be willing to pony up for another payday for him.
- Chase Dollander, RHP
- Antonio Senzatela, RHP
- Austin Gomber, LHP
- Kyle Freeland, LHP
- Gabriel Hughes, RHP
