There are a ton of great pitching prospects in the minors. Guys like Adam Miller have great arms too. But, you know, here’s the thing about Felix: he is the rare prospect that has ridiculous potential and is already an all-star major league player.
Seriously, right now, Felix is one of the best pitchers in the American League. If he never gets any better, he’ll still be a frontline starter. Here’s a few comparisons for you, just based on what Felix is today, and not projecting any improvement at all:
Carlos Zambrano
Brandon Webb
Daniel Cabrera
Jeremy Bonderman
These guys have very similar statistical profiles: extreme groundball rates, high walk rates, high strikeout rates. They walk a ton of guys, and their command is certainly not a strength. But they induce so many groundballs, they essentially negate the extra base hit against them, and they strike out enough batters that the guys who get on base via the single get stranded at first base more often than not. Their performances this year bear out how good you can be without throwing strikes. They have Fielding Independant ERAs of 3.69, 3.82, 4.00, and 4.01 respectively, putting them among the top 30 pitchers in the game.
As of today, Felix’s command isn’t very good. But it legitimately doesn’t matter. Yesterday, he faced 20 batters, and 11 of them beat the ball into the ground. Not one man managed to get the ball in the air. 0 flyballs in 5 innings. That’s absurd.
Felix has all the potential to be a hall of fame pitcher. But, what sets him apart from the usual “prospect” is the fact that he doesn’t have to improve one bit to be an all-star. He’s a star level major league contributor at 19. Guys who can play at an elite level in the major leagues before they turn 20 almost always turn into superstars.
With Felix, its not projection. He’s great right now.