Neftalí Feliz Antonio (; born May 2, 1988) is a Dominican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

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(MLB) for the Texas Rangers,

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, and

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. Feliz won the

American League Rookie of the Year Award American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

in 2010.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Minor leagues

Feliz was signed by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

out of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

on June 6, 2005. He made his professional debut with the

Gulf Coast League Braves The Florida Complex League Braves are an American baseball team. They are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast Lea ...

in 2006, posting a 4.03 ERA in 11 appearances. He began the 2007 season with the rookie-level

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

, and logged a 1.98 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27 innings of work.

Texas Rangers

On July 31, 2007, Feliz was traded from the Braves to the Texas Rangers along with

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia (; born May 2, 1985) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2007 and 2018, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Boston Red So ...

, Matt Harrison, Beau Jones, and

Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox. He was a two-time All- ...

in exchange for

Mark Teixeira Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahe ...

and

Ron Mahay Ronald Matthew Mahay (; born June 28, 1971) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota ...

. He finished the year with the Low-A

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Co ...

, logging a 3.60 ERA in 8 games. In 2008, he split the season between the Single-A

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Leag ...

and the Double-A

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. Based in Frisco, Texas, the team is named aft ...

, accumulating a 10–6 record and 2.69 ERA in 27 games with the two teams. He began the 2009 season with the Triple-A

Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, pitching to a 4–6 record and 3.49 ERA in 25 games.

Major leagues

2009

Feliz was called up to the major leagues for the first time on August 2, 2009. He made his debut on August 3, striking out four in two scoreless innings. Feliz finished the season with a 1–0 record and a 1.74

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in 20 games, with 39

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

and two saves, in 31 innings pitched.

2010

Feliz was the Rangers' best prospect according to ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'', and one of the top five pitching prospects in baseball at the start of 2010. After two blown saves by Frank Francisco to start the 2010 baseball season, Feliz replaced him as the Rangers'

closer Closer or Closers may refer to: Film and television * ''Closer'' (2000 film), a documentary by Tina Gharavi * ''Closer'' (2004 film), a 2004 adaptation of Patrick Marber's play (see below), directed by Mike Nichols * ''The Closer'', a 1990 mo ...

. On July 4, 2010, he was named to his first

MLB All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

. He was accompanied by teammates

Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Guerrero Alvino (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and des ...

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 2007 to 2015, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers teams ...

Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler (; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles A ...

, and the newly acquired

Cliff Lee Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, S ...

. However, Feliz did not pitch during the game. On September 1, 2010, Feliz threw a fastball recorded at 103.4 mph, which at one point was the third fastest recorded pitch ever, behind

Aroldis Chapman Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds, New Y ...

and

Joel Zumaya Joel Martin Zumaya (born November 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers from 2006 through 2010. Baseball career Zumaya was drafted out of Bonita Vista High School ...

. On September 25, 2010, he earned his 38th save of the season, breaking the single-season record for saves by a rookie. He would go on to finish the season with 40. (The previous record was held by

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a Japanese former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career with the Yokohama Taiyō Whales / Yokohama ...

of the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, with 37 in 2000.) During Game 6 of the

2010 American League Championship Series The 2010 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a best-of-seven-game semifinal series in Major League Baseball's 2010 postseason pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The ...

against the

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, Feliz got the final three outs in the 9th inning and sent the Rangers to the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

for the first time in franchise history. On October 30, 2010, he went three up, three down to close a 4–2 Rangers win in Game 3 of the World Series, making him the second youngest player to record a save in the World Series. The Rangers lost the World Series to the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

in 5 games. On November 15, 2010, Feliz was awarded the 2010

. He was also named the closer on ''Baseball Americas 2010 All-Rookie Team and the

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Major League Rookie All-Star Team.

2011

In 2011, Feliz was 2–3 with a 2.74 ERA and 32 saves (5th in the American League and tied for 9th-most in Rangers history). During Game 6 of the

2011 World Series The 2011 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 Major League Baseball season, 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Le ...

, with two outs, two strikes, and two runners on, Feliz blew a save as he surrendered a 2-run triple to

David Freese David Richard Freese (born April 28, 1983) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009, where, two seasons later, he was a key player during the 2 ...

, who would then homer later to seal a Cardinals 10–9 win in the 11th inning. The Rangers then lost their second straight World Series appearance after losing Game 7 to the Cardinals 6–2.

2012

With the addition of veteran closer

Joe Nathan Joseph Michael Nathan (born November 22, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Detro ...

, the Rangers transitioned Feliz into the starting rotation for the 2012 season. His first start came on April 10 against the

. He pitched 7 shutout innings, only giving up 4 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in a 1–0 victory. On May 21, 2012, Feliz was placed on the 60-day

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

(DL) due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. After several rehab appearances, Feliz underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

on August 1, 2012. In 8 games (7 starts), he went 3–1 with a 3.16 ERA during his injury-shortened 2012 year.

2013

Feliz began the 2013 season on the 60-day DL, still recovering from Tommy John surgery. On September 1, he was activated from the DL with the intention to use him in low-leverage situations. He pitched later that night in a lost cause to the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

, pitching innings of relief. Feliz finished the season with only six appearances in which he did not give up a run and struck-out four.

2014

Feliz opened the season as the Rangers

setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...

. He became the closer again after

Joakim Soria Joakim Agustín Soria Ramos (born May 18, 1984) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Milwa ...

was traded. He saved 13 games by the end of the season for the Rangers despite only appearing in 30 games due to injury.

2015

Feliz was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on July 3, 2015, after posting underwhelming stats and being on the DL for the third straight season. He was outrighted off the roster on July 9 and elected to become a

Detroit Tigers

On July 11, 2015, Feliz signed a one-year contract with the

. He made his debut for the Tigers that day, pitching a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and one strikeout. After the season, on December 2, he was non-tendered, making him a free agent.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 6, 2016, Feliz signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the

. Feliz appeared in 62 contests for the Pirates, pitching to a 4–2 record and 3.52 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 53 innings of work. He became a free agent after the season.

Milwaukee Brewers

On January 19, 2017, Feliz signed a one-year contract with the

. Feliz was designated for assignment on June 14 after struggling to a 1–5 record and 6.00 ERA in 29 appearances. The Brewers released him on June 19.

Kansas City Royals

On June 22, 2017, Feliz signed a major league contract with the

. Feliz posted a 4.74 ERA in 20 games before being released by Kansas City on September 1.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 28, 2018, Feliz signed a minor league deal with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

. He spent the season with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate, the

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

, where he posted a 6–5 record and 4.81 ERA in 37 games with the team. He elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Seattle Mariners

On April 10, 2019, Feliz signed a minor league deal with the

. However, Feliz never appeared in a game for the organization, and spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons out of affiliated baseball.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 17, 2020, Feliz signed a minor league contract with the

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

to begin the 2021 season, where he recorded a 2–1 record and 1.26 ERA in 15 games. On June 25, 2021, Feliz was selected to the active roster. On July 1, Feliz was designated for assignment by the Phillies after struggling to a 36.00 ERA across 2 appearances. On July 3, Feliz elected free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 6, 2021, Feliz signed a minor league contract with the

organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

and was later added to the major league roster on August 16. He pitched one scoreless inning for the Dodgers on August 22 before he was designated for assignment two days later. On August 27, Feliz cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A. He was called back up to the majors on September 6. He pitched in two more games, on September 7 and 8, pitching two scoreless innings before he was again designated for assignment on September 9 and then outrighted to Triple-A on September 11. In Triple-A, he pitched innings over 20 games with a 4.73 ERA. On October 14, Feliz elected free agency.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On March 7, 2022, Feliz signed with the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey (English: Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball club in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Monterrey, Mexico. Established in 1939 as Carta Blanca, the Sultanes have won ten LMB titles, most recently in 2018. Fro ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. Feliz made 41 appearances for Monterrey, working to a 4-2 record and 2.89 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 24 saves in innings pitched. On February 17, 2023, Feliz was released by the Sultanes.

Caliente de Durango

On November 23, 2023, Feliz signed with the

Caliente de Durango Caliente de Durango is a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Durango. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Francisco Villa, with a capacity of 6,000 people. The team was established in 2024 after the former Durango's Mexican L ...

of the

. Operating as the team's closer, he posted a 3–0 record with a 1.38 ERA and 11 saves across 26 innings pitched to start the 2024 season.

Leones de Yucatán

On July 5, 2024, Feliz was traded to the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team plays its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in 1957 ...

of the

for the rights to infielder Lázaro Alonso and pitcher Jesús Chávez. In 9 games for Yucatán, he had an 0–1 record and 1.93 ERA with 7 strikeouts and 6 saves across innings pitched.

Caliente de Durango (second stint)

On September 20, 2024, Feliz was traded back to the

alongside

Félix Doubront Félix Antonio Doubront oo-bront'(born October 23, 1987) is a Venezuelan pitcher for the Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and ...

. On December 13, 2024, Feliz signed a minor league contract with the

. The team released him on March 14, 2025, prior to the start of the regular season. On April 17, 2025, Feliz re-signed with Durango. He made one scoreless appearance for Durango, recording a strikeout against the only batter he faced. Feliz was released by the Caliente on May 15.

References

External links

Neftalí Feliz
at MiLB.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feliz, Neftali 1988 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players American League All-Stars Arizona League Rangers players Caliente de Durango players Clinton LumberKings players Danville Braves players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic national baseball team players Estrellas Orientales players Frisco RoughRiders players Generales de Durango players Gulf Coast Braves players Kansas City Royals players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Leones del Escogido players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Milwaukee Brewers players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Baseball players from Azua Province Philadelphia Phillies players Pittsburgh Pirates players Reno Aces players Round Rock Express players Spokane Indians players Sultanes de Monterrey players Texas Rangers players Toros de Tijuana players Toros del Este players 2019 WBSC Premier12 players