King Felix at Cheney tonight
I made it to Cheney tonight and saw Felix throw 7 innings before I left. In those 7 innings, he gave up 4 hits and no runs. I think he had 9 K's, too.
A few observations (most of which has been said before):
For a few batters I stood behind a scout with a jugs gun. Felix threw a 97 mph fastball followed by an 83 mph change-up. It was sick. His curve ball, at times, was devastating. I think most people know the guy has other-worldly stuff so what I was most interested in observing was his demeanor.
When he was warming up in the pen it was obvious he was working on the location of his change-up. When he'd miss a spot he'd be visibly upset and snap at the ball as it was thrown back at him. When he hit his spot he appeared satisfied.
The game went much the same way. If Felix hit his spot he'd swagger around the back of the mound or swagger off the field. If he didn't hit his spot or he disagreed with the umpire's call (which happened a few times) he would show his displeasure quite openly.
What does this mean? I think it means he's 19 years old.
A couple things I'm certain of:
- Felix's stuff compares favorably to any pitcher currently in the major leagues.
- I'm glad he's in AAA. He's young. Real young. Mentally, I'm not sure he's ready for the big leagues and all that goes with being on that stage. However, his stuff is so good it's impossible that he'll not be in the big leagues this season. Whether that's in September or sooner, I think when he gets the call-up he'll be there to stay.
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