Feliz is first and foremost a starting pitcher, but made his debut in 2015 as a member of the Astros bullpen. He is a right-handed pitcher who has a three pitch mix, including a fastball in the upper 90's plus a low 80's slider and change-up. The video, at the bottom of this page, displays his repertoire during a short-season Class A contest, while Feliz pitched for the Tri-City Valley Cats.
During the 2010 calendar year, as a 17-year-old, Feliz inked a deal with the Oakland Athletics. That contract was short-lived, however, as Feliz tested positive for substance abuse. Under the management of Ed Wade, the Astros signed him anyway, for a lesser price of course.
Feliz tossed over 100 innings between 2010 and part of the 2012 season before making any waves in the system. Something clicked mid-season and he posted a 1.64 earned run average in 38 1/3 innings with the Gulf Coast League Astros (rookie ball).
Take note that his success began during the 2012 campaign, In the December prior to the 2012 season, Jeff Luhnow was brought aboard as the General Manager of the Houston Astros.
Success was a roller coaster ride (see ERA) for Feliz in each season, including 2012, to the present. But it is widely documented that the California League is a difficult environment for pitchers. Take Lance McCullers, for example. The stud pitcher for the Astros posted a 5.47 earned run average during his time with the Lancaster Jethawks; 4.41 for Feliz.
Entering the 2016 campaign, Feliz owns just 38 days of MLB service time. It is hard to see him breaking camp with the big-league squad. I think that he is a viable depth option for either the bullpen or starting rotation, and am excited to see his progression with the Fresno Grizzlies during the 2016 season.
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