Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’17 — #37 Neftali Feliz
37 days. And nary a Jeff Suppan to discuss…
Been having a blast in Arizona so far, but it’s also put me slightly behind on these over the past couple of days as I’ve been enjoying my trip.
The wearer of jersey number 37 is a newcomer to the Brewers this year. He is…
Neftalí Feliz.
Feliz is a right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic who has been in the big leagues since 2009. The eight-year veteran will turn 29 years old in early May which means he’s logged a lot of MLB innings despite missing most of one year.
Originally signed as an amateur free agent in 2005 by the Atlanta Braves, Feliz broke into the majors with the Texas Rangers after coming over in the massive return when the Braves acquired Mark Teixeira. Not to diverge too far, but have you ever thought about the amount of talent the Braves ended up giving up in that deal?
Anyway, Feliz would go on to win the Rookie of the Year in 2010 and pitched very well each year in the big leagues through 2014. He struggled in 2015 and ended up getting traded to the Detroit Tigers where he struggled even more. Following that season the Tigers non-tendered Feliz instead of dealing with what would have been his third turn thru arbitration.
Feliz reportedly had plenty of interest before signing on with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He started off in Pittsburgh with a bit of a reduction in typical velocity (four-seam fastball average under 95 MPH) but he was back up over 96 in May and finished the season averaging 98 MPH. He was using his changeup and slider as well last season and had a fine year.
The Brewers signed Feliz on January 19th of this year after they had a large opportunity to offer to a veteran reliever to close. Feliz signed on and looks to be the primary closer when camp breaks.
While he has yet to pitch in the Cactus League (which just got underway today in Tempe), Feliz’s role has already pretty much been set. He needs to focus on preparing to pitch rather than earning a job which can lead to different Spring Training results but shouldn’t worry anyone.
Bottom line for Feliz is that he’s positioned to help the Brewers when he’s on the field and has the potential to impact them down the road via a trade to a contender if he’s pitching well and the Brewers don’t surprise in the standings.
Enjoy Feliz’s heat while we can, Brewers fan.
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Follow Neftalí on Twitter: @NefFeliz
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Looking to catch up on this season’s BBtJN? Just click on a name below:
#59 Carlos Torres
#57 Chase Anderson
#56 Ryan Webb
#54 Michael Blazek
#53 Jhan Mariñez
#52 Jimmy Nelson
#51 Damien Magnifico
#50 Jacob Barnes
#47 Jett Bandy
#46 Corey Knebel
#45 Tyler Cravy
#41 Junior Guerra
#38 Wily Peralta
