With some pitchers, it just takes a little bit more time to mature and figure things out.

Gavin Floyd, a former Phillies first round pick, might be doing just that.

The 25-year-old Floyd lost a no-hit bid with one out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers in the Chicago White Sox 7-0 win. The right-hander is now 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA this season.

Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said he had "hundreds" of talks with Floyd, since he knew the young pitcher had the stuff to be a top of the rotation starter.

So what was the problem?

"Trust - he always had good enough stuff," Dubee said.

"One of Gavin’s problems is that he listens to anybody. When we got good information from different sources, confusion is bound to happen. I think that's what happened -- him being confused and not trusting his stuff."

So how does a kid who struggles out of the gate in the major leagues overcome that to realize his potential?

"One, he has to have success. I mean, what comes first, confidence or success? You gotta have success first, and that breeds confidence. He never got off to a good enough start. You’re a number one pick, you’re supposed to be a premier starter; that's a heavy load sometimes."

Perhaps Floyd has finally cut 'the load' loose.

"For two years I felt like I was pitching in somebody else's body," said Floyd, the No.4 overall pick by the Phillies in 2001. "And just kind of now, I feel comfortable."

My take: Floyd may still be a very good major league pitcher. Yes, there are just two starts, but I'm always reminded of a guy like Curt Schilling, who didn't really become All-Star Curt Schilling until he was on his fourth major league team.

The Phillies might live to regret trading their top pitching prospect at the time, Gio Gonzalez and Floyd for Freddy Garcia. Even if Garcia wasn't injured, he was a free-agent to be, and thus, a one-year rental.