The New and Improved Pedro Feliz
Posted by Corey Seidman, Tue, July 28, 2009 02:05 PM | Comments: 54
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The quartet of Phillies with twenty or more home runs has been well publicized in 2009, as have the team’s table-setters. But in a lineup full of mashers and speedsters, it is easy to overlook a guy who can’t be legitimately classified as either – Pedro Feliz.
And all Feliz is doing is quietly piecing together the best season of his career.
Through 97 games (of which he has played a team-leading 96), Feliz is hitting .297 with a .344 on-base percentage. Prior to this season, his career-highs in those categories came in 2004, when he hit .276 with a .305 OBP.
A low on-base percentage had plagued Feliz throughout his career and was the main area of concern when the Phillies signed him. In four full seasons with the Giants (2004-07), his OBP’s were .305, .295, .281, and .290. These would be horrible numbers for the ninth batter at Bucks County Community College, much less a major league corner infielder.
But Feliz has, simply put, become a completely different player in 2009.
Line Drives Aplenty
His home runs are down, his line drives are up. For his career, Feliz has hit line drives in 17.5% of his plate appearances. This season, that number is 23.3%, a HUGE increase.
The additional line drives have resulted in a large decrease in fly balls, particularly infield flies. From 2006-08, Feliz hit fly balls 41% of the time, compared to 33% in 2009. The aforementioned infield flies have seen an even bigger decline, from 16.3% during that three-year span to 7.8% this season. Given that infield flies are NEVER beneficial, this stat alone shows that he has been having more productive at-bats.
Feliz’ percentage of ground balls is down almost 4% from last year, as well, which has resulted in fewer twin-killings. Remember all those inning-ending double plays Feliz grounded into last season? There were fourteen, to be exact, compared to four this season. The GIDP’s were a problem long before he signed with the Phillies, as he hit into 18, 20, 18, and 15 during his four full years with the Giants.
What has been the reason for such massive improvements in the quality of Feliz’ at-bats this year? Well, there are two reasons.
“Good Eye”
Feliz has developed a more disciplined approach at the plate. While this has not resulted in a higher walk rate (despite a four-walk performance earlier this season), it has helped him see more quality pitches. He is swinging at 4% fewer pitches than he has during his career, while making contact with 4% MORE. And since his patience has led to deeper counts, he is seeing many more fastballs. 60% of the pitches Feliz has seen this year are fastballs, compared to 52% last year and 53.5% for his career. The scouting report on Feliz has always been “that guy can hit a fastball, so don’t throw him one early in the count.”
Thankfully, Feliz is finally starting to lay off the initial junk he sees in hopes of hammering that juicy four-seamer as the at-bat progresses.
Pedro the Role Player
As mentioned above, Feliz’ home runs are down. But that is usually the case of ANY hitter who sees a drop in his fly ball percentage. In effect, his path away from the long ball has made him a better player.
During his four full seasons with the Giants, Feliz led the team in homers once, finished second to Barry Bonds twice, and third another year. His power was needed in the middle of a pitiful lineup that carried the sole purpose of protecting the world’s best hitter.
But these aren’t the 2004-07 San Francisco Giants and Pedro Feliz is no longer looked at as “the guy.” He doesn’t need to be a 25-homer threat so that the hitter in front of him doesn’t get an intentional pass. More often than not, his job is to get on base and help turn the lineup over. With runners on, he is expected to produce, but that production can be as simple as a single up the middle or through the hole between short and third. The simpler approach may not net Feliz 20-25 homers a year, but he is actually creating more runs despite it. He has scored 42 runs and driven in 51 so far this season; he scored 43 runs and drove in 58 all of last season.
If you look at any great team in the history of baseball, you will find a group of role players that complement its superstars. Feliz wasn’t signed to be a superstar, he was signed to be a sure-handed fielder who could provide more pop than the Phillies’ recent occupants at the hot corner. The team wasn’t asking for the world like the Giants were.
Because, after all, these are the 21st century Phillies, a patient, powerful, multi-dimensional wrecking crew of hitters that give managers headaches and scouting reports an error message. Any hitter would love to be a part of this deep lineup.
A lineup that, thanks to a new, simpler approach, Pedro Feliz has carved a comfortable niche in.
Posts: 0 Shawn
Pedro is the man. I am glad he is finally getting the attention he deserves.
Posted: 09:13 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
This is a really good piece… Nice to see all these stats. Pedro’s offense has improved so much this season… .297!? Are you kidding me, that’s unexpectedly amazing!
Posted: 09:41 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 The Original Chuck P
This is what I expected to see from Pedro last year… everyone that I talked to in San Francisco said that Pedro was Mr. Clutch and was overlooked as one of the best defensive 3B in the game.
This team is special… finally, we’re seeing what this team is capable of when everyone lives up to their expectations. Winning a championship is special and usually everything has to fall into place but this team won last year despite Utley, Rollins, Feliz and Burrell not having great years.
Again, this team has the potential to go down as one of the greatest offensive teams in baseball history…
Think about this for a second; in baseball history, only one team has ever had 5 players with 100+ RBI in a season (’36 Yankees with Gehrig, Dimaggio, Lazzeri, Dickey and Selkirk)… it has never been done in the NL. Right now, we have 5 players that COULD reach 100+ RBI. The 1996 Rockies boasted one of the most potent run producing teams in NL history (4 guys reaching 100+ RBI). Their low man that year was Vinny Castilla with 113 RBI. Through 96 games, Castilla had 67… Howard has 77, Ibanez has 74, Utley has 69, Werth has 62, Feliz has 52 and Rollins/Vic each have 46. I could see Rollins OR Feliz getting there… it could happen. Will it? Probably not but if we get 4 guys, that would still be quite a feat.
Posted: 10:33 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Jeff Y.
Pedro fits in perfect with this team.
Posted: 10:35 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Groty
Have to give props to the staff Charley has. I think they are great at spotting things that need little tweaks here and there and successfully working with the players to correct them. Werth and Feliz are the two most obvious examples. Hopefully Mayberry gets it together soon too to help from the bench.
Posted: 11:16 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mark B
Pedro’s 2009 BA is almost 50 points higher now than where he finished in 2008. The Phils’ lineup, 1 through 7, is stronger than it was last season, partly because of Pedro’s improvement.
Posted: 11:33 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Doug D.
Pedro’s emergance as a line-drive hitter has made Jason Donald expendable as fodder for a trade. The Phils will pick-up Pedro’s option for next year, and I see no reason why they won’t extend him beyond next year. The guy’s a vacuum cleaner at 3rd with a quick-release and accurate cannon of an arm. His presence makes the line-up go 7-deep, and he has always had a penchant for big hits, like knocking in the winning run in Game 5 of last year’s WS.
Posted: 11:39 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Jeff of NoVa.
He could very well be the best 7 man in any lineup NL and AL
Posted: 11:47 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Happ and Feliz are really helping my fantasy team.In June,I traded George Sherrill for Rollins and haven’t been disappointed yet.
Posted: 11:58 AM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 christopher
definitely one of the better recent pieces on philliesnation. pedro is the man and such a nice upgrade over our 3B situation of years past.
Posted: 12:43 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Chrissy
I am extremely pleased with Pedro’s plate discipline. The improvement in the number of runs and RBIs is pretty amazing. I’m loving this new Pedro.
Posted: 12:52 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Pedro has been the man! His bat has been an excellent surprise. Glad we have the club option in 2010.
A Halladay actually looks possible if the Phils are willing to part with Drabek. Oh the humanity!
Posted: 02:49 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Nick
I’m sure everybody heard that the phils have a “tug of war” with gillick and manuel wanting halladay and amaro and others don’t want to mortgage the future. But here’s some new news. Supposebly manuel is trying to go after zach duke also.
Posted: 02:51 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Nick
well manuel is trying to persuade amaro to get duke also
Posted: 02:52 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
I am conccerned about Duke because his era has gotten worse evry month. He looks tired.
Posted: 02:59 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
1:57pm: Yahoo’s Gordon Edes reports that the Red Sox offered Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland to the Blue Jays for Halladay.
A pretty good offer.
Posted: 03:05 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 joedad
How dare you write an article without mentioning Halladay? Shame on you!
Posted: 03:06 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 christopher
i would much prefer duke to cliff lee.
Posted: 03:25 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kenny
The Red Sox will get him and win the big one. Jr. Is being so stupid. Even Gillick is telling him to do it. I will drive Tommy John surgery to the airport. GOD
Posted: 03:26 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Bob
Yea this isn’t going to send Philly into a panic attack. Riccardi will be haunted for years on end if he trades within that division.
Posted: 03:27 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
If the Red Sox offered Buchholz then the Phillies are force to include Drabek. There is no way to avoid it now. I still think the Phillies can get the trade done over the Red Sox because they are out of the division and they can offer Donald which will fit the Jay’s shortstop needs. However now its definately not getting done without Drabek. Ruben Amaro Jr. needs to realize that the Sox just upped the ante and Philadelphia might never forgive him if he decideds to fold.
Posted: 03:34 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kenny
Go to SI.COM and read tom verducci story on the front page. Why the Phillies cant pass this deal up. They can become a dynasty with Halladay. Drabek is unproven and Happ has high value. This deal has to be made. If not Rueben must be vittoed. Gillik needs to run the show.
Posted: 03:35 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Would you guys be OK with Drabek, Taylor, Donald and a pitcher not named Happ, Knapp or Carrasco?
Posted: 03:36 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Indians scouted Drabek last night with two scouts. They are scouting Vance Worley Thursday night.
Posted: 03:38 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
I would be ok with Drabek, Taylor, Donald and someone else. Carrasco is fine by me to include into the trade. Happ… ugh… it would kill me but I guess I could stomach that. Knapp no way.
Drabek, Taylor, Donald, and Carrasco (or anyone else thats not Brown or Happ) would actually be a good compromise. The Phillies get to keep Brown and Happ and the Jays get Drabek.
Posted: 03:40 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Bob
PSUJoe,
Sign me up. Since it seems that Drabek needs to be included in this deal….still leaves Knapp, Carrassco, maybe Savery/Worley, Carpenter, etc. If the Phils continue to draft well they will plug the holes left by this potential trade.
Or this Sox “deal” could be total BS started to drive the price up on the Phillies. Who the hell knows? I’m ready for this to be done
Posted: 03:43 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kenny
Phillies are not making any deals. The Red Sox are very smart and will steal him away. Rueben is being very selfish. Drabek better be a hall of famer if they dont make this deal. Ruben was a horrible ball player and GM.
Posted: 03:44 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
Lets not get all doom and gloom yet Kenny. Nothing is official yet and I do think that Ruben has been handling the situation in a smart way so far. The Red Sox offer is a new development, lets see how he reacts to it.
Posted: 03:47 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
LOL Bob, who the heck knows what’s real and not real. Drabek,Taylor, Donald and pitcher doesn’t hurt our current roster yet it gives the Jays value. I love the R,L,R,L,? rotation as well.
Halladay
Hamels
Blantan
Happ
Moyer/Martinez/Lopez
Posted: 03:49 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Kenney, I think a deal will go down before Halladay pitches or a deal with the Phils won’t happen. The Jays need time to trade off other expensive pieces once they trade Halladay.
Posted: 03:51 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kenny
Well he is pitching on Wednesday. The phillies do not hurt there team at all with this deal. Not at all. They are not touching are offense of machine. Just adding the best pitcher in the WORLD. World Series…Halladay, Hamels, and Blanton. We match up with everyone…Now. Hamels, Blanton, Happ…NO
Posted: 03:57 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
The fact that the Jays did not accept the Red Sox’s offer shows that they would really rather not deal within the division. The Phils lost a little leverage with the Sox offers but, if they are willing to respond, they can still get Halladay.
Posted: 03:58 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kennedy
Thats a huge offer though. Buchholz and Bowden both have higher value than Drabek. Westmoreland is no Brown, but he’s definitely a top outfield prospect. Damn, that is bad
Posted: 04:06 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
It is a huge offer but I still think the Jays would go with Drabek, Happ, Taylor, and Donald over that. Good amount a talent and not have him in the division.
Posted: 04:11 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Not a huge offer. The Red Sox did NOT have a single player on the Top 25 list from Baseball America. They have Lars Anderson and Casey Kelly in the 25-50 part of the list, and they’re not even included in the offer. So it’s basically Buchholz (who, though great, has been overhyped by the Boston-heavy media and is already 24… older than Carrasco and Drabek!)
Posted: 04:17 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
I totally agree, those guys are overhyped by Boston people in the media. That was a tiddlywinks offer from the Red Sox.
Posted: 04:19 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kennedy
Manny, Baseball America is not everything.
First of all, Buchholz isn’t eligible because he’s not a prospect anymore. He’s better than Happ.
Bowden has more value than Drabek. He pitched better than Drabek at age 21 in the same League (Eastern). He’s pitched well in AAA. He has no injury history. Drabek has the higher ceiling, but Bowden is much more of sure thing.
Westomoreland is doing more at the same age in the NYP than Brown. Obviously Brown has much more value as he’s almost a sure thing, but Westmoreland’s extremely polished for a 19 yr old.
Posted: 04:45 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 joedad
Halladay
Hamels
Blantan
Happ
Moyer/Martinez/Lopez…
…makes no sense. If the Phils acquire a top flight pitcher, Happ is leaving plain and simple. If Martinez is ready, he is #5, if not, Lopez is #5.
Posted: 04:47 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kennedy
joedad it’s Blanton.
Plus, it’d be nice to have the luxury of going to a six man rotation, or doing something to rest Hamels in August. Be nice to cut down Happ’s innings to.
Posted: 04:55 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Sure, Kennedy. Don’t wanna sound rude but, why should I prefer your information over Baseball America’s? I mean, their job is to rate prospects…and this last list was done midseason, so I highly doubt that Bowden > Drabek, that Westmoreland is even comparable to Brown (No.18 overall), and that Buchholz is the thing everyone in the media makes of. Sure, he’s most likely better than Happ… but I’m just saying that the Red Sox offer isn’t “huge” as people here are saying.
Sounds huge, cause we’ve heard the name Buchholz repeated over and over again on TV….
Posted: 04:55 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
joedad, I disagree. No way the Phils part with Happ and Drabek. It’s just not happening. The Jays and Indians both want Drabek over Happ.
Posted: 04:56 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
I think the Jays would take Drabek, Taylor, Donald and another phillies minor league pitcher over the Red Sox deal.
Posted: 04:59 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Chase Mutley
It’s a shame that this all has to go down while the team is in the middle of an unbelievable stretch. I’ve been checking MLBtraderumors more often than I have any Phillies websites.
I know it’s not the Philly way, but this team deserves our respect and support, with or without Halladay.
Posted: 05:01 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kennedy
Manny:
God forbid I should disagree with a website. I’ve presented my reasoning over and over. You have a list. I’ll wait til you make an actual point as to why Drabek is better than Bowden.
Remember, JP Riccardi is payed a lot more than the guys at Baseball America, and he signed Vernon Wells for 121 Million.
Need more proof: There are like 10 big top prospect lists out there, and most of the players on them, especially in the bottom half, are completely different.
Posted: 05:06 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Kennedy
Also, that deal was apparently BS, according to MLBTR.
Posted: 05:06 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Kennedy, What are Bowden’s 3 pitches? Does he throw 96 and 2 other top pitches like Drabeks Curve and changeup? Most scouts go by stuff, not stats.
Posted: 05:10 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Gavin
MLB on XM reported that the Red Sox denied that they would include westmoreland.
Posted: 05:18 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Barney
Phillies and Indians are in talks . . looks more and more like we are going to get Lee and keep Happ and Drabek. This would be Great for us
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4362115
Posted: 05:34 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
Man, so many contradictions and implications this time of year. A little nerve wracking but fun.
Posted: 05:42 PM on July 28, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
What does: Your comment is awaiting moderation mean?
Jays are scouting Donald’s game tonight.
Posted: 05:42 PM on July 28, 2009