Texas Rangers’ Neftali Feliz all set to pitch as starter – MLB News
The Texas Rangers’ Neftali Feliz threw 30 pitches on Monday, February 27, to mark the full beginning of workout in Spring Training. Feliz, who is among the set of multi-talented Rangers pitchers, is being tipped as one of the most efficacious starters for
the team this season.
Neftali Feliz is completely aware of the responsibilities that he shoulders as the starter. The challenges ahead, however, hardly discompose him. Working as hard as he can, Feliz feels confident about the variety of pitches he is throwing.
"I feel confident I can throw the changeup," Feliz said. "I've been working hard on it and it will help me this year. It's a great feeling to do that when you're facing a good hitter like Hamilton. That's the feel [with the pitch] that I want this year."
Feliz’s workout on Monday coincided with Yu Darvish, the Japanese pitcher whom the Rangers recently got in their fold. With the resilience and confidence that personify Feliz, the Rangers have got all the reasons to expect something big this season.
Neftali, in team manager Ron Washington’s view, is focused. For Washington, Feliz is the leader of the group.
“He's focused and he's confident," Washington said. "He's getting the opportunity to use all his pitches in batting practice and he's doing it. He has been a leader in his group out there. So far, he seems very happy to be a starter.”
In the Cactus League where the Rangers will face, among others, the White Sox on March 8, Feliz will be the starter. He has all the determination to prove his standing as an effective starter as the competition is swelling in the camp.
Neftali Feliz had 64 games in the season the past year, including 11 of them in the postseason. He had a total of 32 saves, ranking fifth in the American League with 2.74. His career average, on the other hand, is 2.55 with 74 saves to his credit in the
154 games that he has played in 162.2 innings that he has pitched since his debut in 2009.
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