Who Am I?
Michael Feliz
RHP
Age: 23
Height: 6′ 4″
Weight: 230
Throws right, Bats right
How did I get here?
Signed by the Astros as an international free agent in 2010, after his original contract with Oakland was voided.
Contract status: not arbitration eligible until 2019
Why am I here?
The hope, as Feliz came up through the minors, was that he would emerge as a frontline starter. At this point, he looks like a late inning reliever. His 2017 role will be somewhat similar to Devenski’s, but with a greater emphasis on short appearances where a strikeout is needed.
What are my strengths?
Feliz is a 2-pitch pitcher, but those 2 pitches are plus. His fastball routinely sits at 98, and his slider has been a revelation – he allowed only a .165 batting average off the slider last year. He’s big, sturdy, has a repeatable motion – basically, your classic flamethrower stuff.
What are my weaknesses?
First and foremost – a lack of control. This is evidenced not so much by walks – 22 in 65 IP isn’t atrocious, even if hardly the stuff of shutdown closers. No, the problem is that he too frequently leaves the ball up in the zone. A full 30% of his pitches were up in the zone, and while he could get away with it against righties with his velocity, left handed hitters absolutely crushed those balls, which led to those 10 home runs.
Apart from that? The lack of a third pitch means he has no realistic road to the rotation.
What is my future with the Astros?
It’s easy to see Feliz forming a late-game hammer combo with Giles. It’s also easy to see him failing to master his control struggles and never becoming more than an average middle reliever. His velocity will keep him around for quite a while.
What is my projected 2017 performance?
| WINS | LOSSES | IP | H | HR | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | 65 | 55 | 10 | 22 | 95 | 4.43 | 1.18 |
| PECOTA | 3 | 2 | 57.7 | 49 | 6 | 23 | 63 | 3.52 | 1.26 |
| ZIPS | 88.3 | 83 | 12 | 34 | 99 | 4.38 | 1.33 | ||
| MMWAG | 5 | 4 | 78 | 77 | 8 | 25 | 100 | 3.75 | 1.31 |
Who else would I remind you of?
God, I hate saying it, because I genuinely want Feliz to succeed. But I get more than a whiff of Kyle Farnsworth from him.