Los Angeles Dodgers: Who Delivers the Ball to Kenley Jansen?
By Sunit Bhakta
Neftali Feliz
It wasn’t long ago when Neftali Feliz was supposed to be the next elite shutdown closer in baseball. He won the 2010 AL Rookie of the Year and made his lone All-Star appearance that same season. Feliz started off as a hard-thrower, and I mean hard. He was consistently throwing in the mid to high-90’s. He also had the God-given arm talent to hit triple-digits.
Only 4 pitchers have thrown a fastball recorded at 103 MPH+
— Daren Willman (@darenw) June 30, 2016
Chapman 75 times
Mauricio Cabrera 3
Neftali Feliz 1
Henry Alberto Rodriguez 1
Feliz has a career 3.22 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. He compiled a 2.67 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP from 2009-2012 but then in 2012 he got injured and needed Tommy John Surgery. He attempted a comeback in 2014 and was good in his 31.2 innings collecting a 1.99 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Since then, he has been on the DL three times and his ability has diminished. In 2015 he had a 6.75 ERA and an unsightly 1.56 WHIP in 48 innings. Last season he was solid, throwing for a 3.52 ERA in a little over 50 innings.
The talent is undeniable and so is his success. It’s just the injuries which ruined a possible elite-level career. His fastball velocity actually increased from 94.6 mph in 2015 to 96 mph last season. That is to be expected as you get further away from injury and get physically stronger. It is a good sign, and one that might show that he might be able to return to form. If he can, he’d be a terrific bargain. He should not cost so much because he still has to prove he can stay healthy and produce like he once did, so a one-year incentive-laden deal would be the best way to go. I’d be surprised if he gets over $5-$6 million in guarantee money from the Los Angeles Dodgers.