Red Sox: Is Durbin Feltman a real option down the stretch?
By Damian Dydyn
On day two of the 2018 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox opened up with their first non-power bat pick of the draft and the pick had a specific purpose.
When the Red Sox came up for their first pick of day two of the draft, they had focused exclusively on power bats to that point. Triston Casas and Nick Decker were their picks in rounds one and two. And that trend would mostly continue in the next few picks. But they surprised many with their third round pick and selected Durbin Feltman. He was a closer out of TCU. It was a fascinating pick since he could potentially be fast tracked to Fenway.
Durbin Feltman was arguably the most dominant closer in all of college baseball this past season. He posted a 0.74 ERA over 18 games and 24 IP. He allowed just 12 hits while striking out 43 and walking only 6. As a 21-year-old junior he is quite advanced. And pitching in the Big 12 means he was facing some of the best college talent in the nation. So his gaudy numbers weren’t compiled against inferior competition.
His dominance carried over to the minors.
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Feltman spent just four games at low-A, throwing four innings. He allowed no runs, struck out 7, walked none and induced 80% ground balls. He throws two swing and miss pitches. The first is a mid-90’s fastball that touches 98. The second is a hard mid-80’s slider with heavy downward action. Baseball America describes it as more of a curveball’s break thank the more typical lateral break you would see with a slider. It has proven a devastating combination for college hitters and low-A bats alike.
After those four games he was moved up to Greenville to face A-ball hitters. In two games he has continued to show that he outclasses the lower minors. Once again, he has failed to give up a run and is striking out batters like it’s going out of style. Over his first two IP, he has struck out 6 of the 8 batters he has faced. And again he has issued no walks. His stay with the Greenville Drive will almost certainly be longer than four games, but don’t be surprised if he is is in AA Portland shortly after the All Star break. Especially if he continues to make A-ball hitters look silly. The stuff is certainly there for him to fly up through the minors. Of course, cautionary tales like Craig Hansen loom large.
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But with Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes once again showing their warts, the bullpen could use help from any possible source. Should the Red Sox be looking to rush Durbin Feltman to the majors? Or should they focus on the trade market exclusively? Let us know what you think in the comments!