Neftali Feliz Stats & Scouting Report

IP	9.1
ERA	1.93
WHIP	1.18
BB/9	1.93
SO/9	6.75

Full name Neftalí Feliz
Born 05/02/1988 in Azua, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Sofia Benitez
Debut 08/03/2009

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Originally signed by the Braves for $100,000 out of the Dominican Republic, Feliz came to the Rangers in a five-prospect package for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay in July 2007. At the time, he hadn't pitched above Rookie ball, but Feliz since has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting young pitchers in baseball. Texas also received Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones in one of the best trades in franchise history. Feliz reached Double-A Frisco at age 20 and led the minors with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his first full season in the Rangers system in 2008. He opened last season working as a starter at Triple-A Oklahoma, moving to the bullpen in late June to prepare him for a big league callup, which came in early August. Feliz electrified the home crowd in his major league debut, becoming the first Ranger ever to strike out four straight batters to start his career and touching 100 mph six times in 30 pitches over two perfect innings. He took the American League by storm over the next two months, dominating in 20 relief appearances. An exceptional athlete with a fluid arm action, Feliz generates premium velocity with minimal effort, and scouts constantly comment that it looks like he's playing catch from the mound. His fastball explodes on hitters, sitting at 93-98 mph and touching triple digits. His fastball also has good late life and he commands it well, making it a true 80 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. Feliz made great strides with his changeup in 2009, and it now ranks as his No. 2 pitch. He maintains his arm speed on his changeup, and it can be a plus offering though it's as hard as some pitchers' fastballs at 89-90 mph. His athletic, physical frame should help him hold up under a starter's workload. He has a confident, aggressive mound presence and doesn't get rattled easily. Feliz is still working on improving his feel for his breaking ball. In Triple-A, one of every three or four was a quality big league pitch, and he actually was more consistent and comfortable with it after his callup. At its best, the pitch is an 82-85 mph power curveball with 11-to-5 break, but it tends to flatten out at times and will probably turn into more of a slider. When he worked as a starter, Feliz had a tendency to work at 92-93 mph with his fastball in the early innings, then peak in the high 90s in the middle to late innings. In relief, he had to learn to dial up his stuff from the start of his outings. Feliz still is refining his command, particularly with his secondary stuff. Because of his ability to hold his exceptional fastball velocity deep into games, Feliz profiles as a potential No. 1 starter if he can improve his breaking ball. The Rangers plan to break him in as a starter in 2010, but if he struggles they could move him back into the bullpen, where he could be a shutdown closer.
Signed by the Braves for $100,000 out of the Dominican Republic, Feliz burst onto the prospect landscape in his U.S. debut in 2006, running his fastball up to 97 mph and striking out 42 in 29 innings as an 18-year-old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. The following summer, he was dealt to the Rangers along with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones in exchange for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay. He opened his first full season with Texas at low Class A Clinton, where he overpowered Midwest League hitters. The Rangers say they skipped him to Double-A Frisco in July in order to challenge him to command his secondary stuff better against more advanced hitters. He continued to thrive as a 20-year-old against much older players, finishing the year with a minor league-leading 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings between the two levels. Feliz's fastball might rate as a true 80 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. At Clinton, it sat at 94-96 mph and touched 99, and at Frisco it topped out at 101 mph. More impressive, Feliz does it effortlessly, and the ball explodes out of his hand with natural boring life. When he maintains a high three-quarters arm slot, he also gets a good downhill angle on his heater. His secondary pitches both have potential. He throws a power curveball that sometimes reaches 83-84 mph, and it's a plus pitch with 11-to-5 break when he stays on top of it. He shows feel for an 85-87 mph changeup with good fading action. Feliz is a natural athlete who fields his position well. He has a physical, durable frame and an easy arm action, suggesting he should be able to shoulder a significant workload without breaking down. He also has a confident mound presence, and his between-starts routine improved in 2008, demonstrating his continuing maturation. Sometimes Feliz drops his arm slot, causing his stuff to flatten out. He's still fine-tuning his breaking ball, which can become a slurve. The pitch was suspect early in the season at Clinton, but he made strides with it late in the year. He slows down his arm action at times with his changeup, and the Rangers still have to force him to throw it. He doesn't have pinpoint fastball command--team president Nolan Ryan worked with him during instructional league on locating his fastball down and away--but throwing strikes and pitching to the bottom of the zone come naturally to him. Feliz also worked hard in instructional league on quickening his delivery and varying his times to the plate so he could control the running game better. Opponents stole 32 bases in 38 tries against him last season. With perhaps the most overpowering fastball in the minors and the makings of two quality offspeed pitches, Feliz has a chance to be a legitimate No. 1 starter. Rather than pitch in winter ball, he worked out at the Rangers' academy in the Dominican Republic, and he'll get a look in big league camp in spring training. He'll probably open 2009 back in the minors, with a callup to Texas possible in the second half.
Feliz lacked the name recognition of the other youngsters the Braves gave up in the Mark Teixeira trade last July, but he could wind up as the crown jewel of the haul. Rather than blowing hitters away with his fastball after the trade, he focused on developing his secondary stuff and still struck out 27 in just 15 innings. With some time to refine his command, Feliz' fastball could rate as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. With a smooth, effortless arm action, he pumps heaters that sit at 94-97 mph and touches 99, exploding on hitters. He stays on a good line to the plate and throws strikes. He has an athletic build and he's a hard worker. Feliz flashes a promising three-quarters breaking ball in the high 70s, but it's inconsistent. One day he'll show a plus curve with very good depth, and the next day he'll drop his arm, causing the pitch to flatten out and spin but not bite. He tends to throw his changeup too hard, right into hitters' bat speeds, but he has some feel for the pitch and made progress with it in instructional league. His command currently lags behind his control. Feliz has a chance to open 2008 as a 19-year-old at low Class A Clinton, but he's still a long way from the majors. If it all comes together for him, he has the potential to be a true No. 1 starter, though some scouts see him as a flamethrowing closer down the road.
Feliz shined as bright as any of the organization's young arms last summer in the Gulf Coast League, recording more than twice as many strikeouts as hits allowed. He has a lanky frame to grow into, along with a clean delivery that produces an effortless 90-93 mph fastball with late life. He reaches 96-97 with his heater and the ball jumps out of his hand. At this point, his fastball is his lone plus offering. Feliz has a sweeping low-80s slider that's sharp when he stays on top of it, but his changeup needs considerable work in order to become a usable pitch. His biggest challenge will be learning to harness his repertoire by pitching down in the strike zone more consistently and gaining better overall control. Feliz might have as much upside as any pitcher in the system. He doesn't turn 19 until May, so he could open 2007 in extended spring training before reporting to Danville.

Minor League Top Prospects

One of five players the Rangers acquired from the Braves for Mark Teixeira in mid-2007, Feliz reached the big leagues in only his second year of pitching in full-season ball, joining the Rangers' bullpen in early August. In his first 12 games with Texas, he allowed just seven baserunners and one walk while striking out 28 in 22 innings. Feliz went 3-5, 3.86 as a starter for the Redhawks before converting to the bullpen in late June in anticipation of his callup. Most PCL observers felt Feliz could succeed as a starter, though some had reservations about his command. All were in agreement that he has tremendous stuff, headlined by a lively four-seam fastball which sits in the high 90s and routinely touches 100 mph. Just as impressive, Feliz delivers the ball with an effortless delivery that makes it look like he's just playing catch. He complements his fastball with a biting curveball and has some feel for a changeup. "It's such an easy 96 (mph) fastball, it's just ridiculous," an American League scout said. "When you're that athletic, you can do so many things. He could probably pitch with more effort and still have good command."
Feliz may have the most explosive fastball in the minors. He effortlessly sat at 93-94 mph and touched 99 mph with Clinton, and he reached triple digits after jumping to Double-A. Between the two stops, he led all minor league starters by averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. "The ball jumps out of his hand," a scout with a National League club said, "and it jumps past bats also." Feliz could rely on his fastball alone to overpower most MWL hitters, but he needs to use his secondary pitches more often. His hard breaking ball shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch and is at its best when he stays on top of it and achieves curveball action, but he tends to slow down his arm and drop his elbow, resulting in a flatter slurve. His changeup is promising, too, though he rarely unveils it.
Feliz wasn't a big name in the five-prospect package the Braves sent to the Rangers to acquire Mark Teixeira in July. But he had one of the best arms in Atlanta's system and could prove to be a key pickup for Texas, which always is on the lookout for pitching. Feliz' fastball consistently sits between 93-95 mph and tops out at 98. His mechanics are usually loose and fluid, but sometimes he slows down his delivery, which messes with his command. His secondary pitches are both works in progress, though his curveball has good downward action when he finishes the pitch properly. "He had a very loose, fluid arm that flat-out, God-given gasoline came out of," Czajkowski said. "It looked like he threw hard without even trying. Any high schooler that throws like that is a No. 1 pick. Our scouts did a great job of finding him."
The Braves had a talented pitching staff that featured high-profile draftees such as Steve Evarts, Jeff Locke, Cory Rasmus and Chad Rodgers, as well as Australian bonus baby Steve Kent. Feliz, signed out of the Dominican last year, was more impressive than any of them and finished his U.S. debut by striking out 15 and not allowing a run in his final 11 innings. "He has the most upside of all of them. He was dynamite," Ortiz said. "He's tall, smooth and he does it so effortless. When it comes out of his hand, it's 'Bam'--96, 97." Feliz' fastball usually sits at 93 mph with late life, but he needs to do a better job of keeping it down in the strike zone. When he stays on top of his slider, it comes in with hard bite at 83-84, but it's inconsistent and he prefers to pitch with his fastball.

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Best Fastball in the Texas Rangers in 2010
Rated Best Fastball in the Pacific Coast League in 2009
Rated Best Fastball in the Texas Rangers in 2009
Rated Best Fastball in the Midwest League in 2008
Rated Best Fastball in the Texas Rangers in 2008
Rated Best Fastball in the Atlanta Braves in 2007

Career Transactions

Leones de Yucatan activated RHP Neftalí Feliz from the reserve list.
Caliente de Durango traded RHP Neftalí Feliz to Leones de Yucatan for LHP Manuel Chavez.
RHP Neftalí Feliz assigned to Caliente de Durango.
RHP Neftalí Feliz assigned to Toros de Tijuana.
Sultanes de Monterrey released RHP Neftalí Feliz.