Felix Sterling
| IP | 286 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.752 |
| WHIP | 1.441 |
| BB/9 | 4.059 |
| SO/9 | 8.685 |
- Full name Felix Sterling
- Born 03/15/1993 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Sterling was one of the best pitchers in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2010, his first professional season. He went back to the AZL to open 2011, then received a promotion to low Class A in July. Sterling is a physical pitcher whose best attribute is his arm strength. He throws a fastball in the low 90s and gets up to 96 mph. He has a mature frame and a thick lower half, so he doesn't project to have more velocity. While he had little use for a changeup in the past, he threw it more often last season. It's now his No. 2 pitch and shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch. The rest of Sterling's game is still raw. His breaking ball is a slurvy slider with loose, erratic rotation. He can overthrow and come out of his delivery, which hampers his command. Some scouts see Sterling as a reliever, but he'll remain a starter for now. He'll step to high Class A to open 2012. -
The Indians had a few interesting Latin American teenagers on their Rookie-level Arizona League team in 2010, including shortstop Jorge Martinez and Alex Monsalve, with Sterling having the most upside. He already sits in the low 90s with his fastball and runs it up to 94 mph. Though he already has a strong lower half and his body is relatively filled out for his age, he still has some projection in his frame and could add another tick or two to his fastball. His No. 2 pitch is a slider that has short, tight break and could be at least an average pitch. Sterling is primarily a fastball/slider pitcher at this point, because he hasn't had to use his changeup much in games yet. He's still refining his control but it's solid for a teenager. Sterling has a durable frame and projects as a starter, though he's far from reaching his potential as a mid-rotation arm. He could go to short-season Mahoning Valley and has a chance to pitch in low Class A this year.
Minor League Top Prospects
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After spending all of 2010 in the AZL at age 17, Sterling returned this year for six games before making the jump to low Class A--where he was just as effective. He already has a mature body, including a thick lower half, which limits his physical projection, but he's also more polished than would be expected for an 18-year-old. Big and physical, Sterling usually works at 92-95 mph with his fastball. He backs it up with a hard slurve and an effective changeup. His command was inconsistent this year, and some scouts believe that he'll eventually be better suited for a bullpen role.
