It seems like a long time ago the biggest question in YankeeLand was who should be the team’s fifth starter, and a long time ago since the endless debate as to whether or not Phil Hughes was really the right choice over Joba Chamberlain.

It’s still early in the season, but thus far, it looks like the Yankees made a pretty good decision.

Hughes is already 5-0, and since if you’re reading this you already know W-L record is a horrible way to evaluate a pitcher, his ERA is 1.38–best in the American League. And since that, too, is not the world’s greatest statistical measure…

Just consider this: Phil Hughes has started six games for the Yankees, now–Angels, Athletics, Orioles, White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers–and has given up a grand total of six runs. Six. (The Yankees didn’t win the Baltimore game, but when Hughes left, after 5.2 innings, they were leading 2-1).

Hughes’ shortest outing of the season, 5.0 IP, came his first start of the season, and since then he has pitched seven innings in four of his other five starts.

You may expect your team’s ace to pitch seven innings each time out, but the fifth starter?

It’s almost reminiscent of the way Mike Mussina went from the Yankees fifth starter in 2008 to their ace in a matter of weeks, but the difference is that Mussina didn’t also have CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett on his pitching staff. (Not to mention, Mussina is a potential Hall of Famer who was coming off of a down year; Hughes is coming off of a year in which he pitched primarily from the bullpen).

Hughes has already 39 strike outs on the season–that’s the most out of any starter in the Yankees’ rotation, and CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett have both started one more game than Hughes.

I realize that it’s May 12th. I know Sabathia starts slow and takes off in the second half, that Zack Greinke is Zack Greinke and that King Felix is royalty, but right now, Hughes is pitching on another level entirely.

It might be tempting to say that it’s too soon to dub him one of the elite, that he’s due for regression (and some regression, certainly; he won’t be at 1.38 all year), but right now, a healthy Hughes is a marvel to watch–and very possibly the best thing about the Yankees in 2010.