Track Record: Felipe signed with the Rays on the last day of the 2014-15 international signing period for $115,000 but struggled with his control and never advanced past the Class A levels in six seasons in Tampa's system. The Padres liked Felipe's tall frame and big fastball and signed him as a minor league free agent in 2022. Felipe took off with a fresh start and dominated as the closer at Double-A San Antonio before receiving a late promotion to Triple-A El Paso. He allowed just one home run in 62 innings all year and was added to the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: A former shortstop as an amateur who simply outgrew the position, Felipe has been working to repeat a whip-like delivery since moving to the mound. His four-seam and two-seam fastballs both sit 97-98 mph and touch 101, with his two-seam the better and more frequently used of the two offerings. His mid-80s slider is a potential plus pitch with tilt and bite when he stays on top of it and his upper-80s changeup with sink and fade is a potential above-average offering, although he needs to continue to refine his command and consistency of both pitches. Felipe has long had below-average control, but he improved his strikethrowing as the season progressed last year.
The Future: Armed with the best fastball in the system, Felipe will be in big league spring training and have a chance to break camp with the Padres. His command will have to continue to improve if he's going to be more than an up-and-down reliever in the bullpen.
Track Record: Felipe signed with the Rays on the last day of the 2014-15 international signing period for $115,000 but struggled with his control and never advanced past the Class A levels in six seasons in Tampa's system. The Padres liked Felipe's tall frame and big fastball and signed him as a minor league free agent in 2022. Felipe took off with a fresh start and dominated as the closer at Double-A San Antonio before receiving a late promotion to Triple-A El Paso. He allowed just one home run in 62 innings all year and was added to the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: A former shortstop as an amateur who simply outgrew the position, Felipe has been working to repeat a whip-like delivery since moving to the mound. His four-seam and two-seam fastballs both sit 97-98 mph and touch 101, with his two-seam the better and more frequently used of the two offerings. His mid-80s slider is a potential plus pitch with tilt and bite when he stays on top of it and his upper-80s changeup with sink and fade is a potential above-average offering, although he needs to continue to refine his command and consistency of both pitches. Felipe has long had below-average control, but he improved his strikethrowing as the season progressed last year.
The Future: Armed with the best fastball in the system, Felipe will be in big league spring training and have a chance to break camp with the Padres. His command will have to continue to improve if he's going to be more than an up-and-down reliever in the bullpen.
Track Record: Felipe signed with the Rays on the last day of the 2014-15 international signing period for $115,000 but struggled with his control and never advanced past the Class A levels in six seasons in Tampa's system. The Padres liked Felipe's tall frame and big fastball and signed him as a minor league free agent in 2022. Felipe took off with a fresh start and dominated as the closer at Double-A San Antonio before receiving a late promotion to Triple-A El Paso. He allowed just one home run in 62 innings all year and was added to the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: A former shortstop as an amateur who simply outgrew the position, Felipe has been working to repeat a whip-like delivery since moving to the mound. His four-seam and two-seam fastballs both sit 97-98 mph and touch 101, with his two-seam the better and more frequently used of the two offerings. His mid-80s slider is a potential plus pitch with tilt and bite when he stays on top of it and his upper-80s changeup with sink and fade is a potential above-average offering, although he needs to continue to refine his command and consistency of both pitches. Felipe has long had below-average control, but he improved his strikethrowing as the season progressed last year.
The Future: Armed with the best fastball in the system, Felipe will be in big league spring training and have a chance to break camp with the Padres. His command will have to continue to improve if he's going to be more than an up-and-down reliever in the bullpen.