Felipe González (minors02)

Felipe González

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.

• Born August 15, 1991 in Guadalupe, Nuevo León Mexico

BR register page

Biographical Information

Felipe González has pitched as high as AAA and has been on the Mexican national team.

He was signed by the New York Yankees in 2008. He made his pro debut that summer with the DSL Yankees 1 but allowed 24 hits in 14 1/3 IP; he managed a 2-1 record despite a 8.79 ERA. In 2009, he was 0-1 for the DSL Yankees 2, giving up six runs in one inning but all were unearned. The next year, he found his groove with the same club at 4-2, 3.38. After a 3-4, 2.35 campaign for the 2011 DSL Yankees 2, he made his winter ball debut with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, giving up three runs in 1 1/3 IP.

He did not pitch in the summer of 2012, presumably due to injury, then allowed 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings for Hermosillo that winter. Coming stateside in 2013, he was 4-1 with a save and a 2.23 ERA for the GCL Yankees 2. He was 6th in the Gulf Coast League in ERA, between Jose Alonzo and Brady Lail. He was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the minor league portion of the 2013 Rule V Draft.

In 2014, he pitched for the West Virginia Power (2-4, 2 Sv, 2.81 in 33 G) and Bradenton Marauders (1-0, 1.93 in 3 G). He fanned 94, 9th in the Bucs chain, between Chad Kuhl and Dovydas Neverauskas. In winter ball, he was 2-4 with a 2.77 ERA for the Venados de Mazatlán. He was 8-6 with a 3.28 ERA for the '15 Marauders. In the winter, he was 0-4 with a 7.90 ERA for the Venados and pitched briefly for the Tomateros de Culiacán (1-2, 5.06 in 4 G). The Los Angeles Dodgers took him in the 2015 Rule V Draft's minor league phase.

González split 2016 between the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-7, 5.57 in 20 G) and Tulsa Drillers (0-4, 9.37 in 5 G). He tied Jeremy Kehrt and Nolan Long for 2nd in the Dodgers chain in losses. In the winter, he became a starter with Mazatlán after having relieved in his Mexican career (his US career had gone back and forth between those roles); he was 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA. In '17, he moved to the Miami Marlins system and posted a 9-8, 4.15 record with five saves for the Jupiter Hammerheads, whiffing 92 in 89 innings. He tied for 5th in the Fish farm in wins and missed the top-10 in Ks, one behind Chris Mazza.

Mazatlán moved him to the bullpen in 2017-2018 and he had a big winter at 3-1, 1.14 though some of that was apparently escaping jams well as his WHIP was 1.48. In 2018, he pitched in the Mexican League for the first time after a decade in the US minors. He was 4-4 with a 4.40 ERA for the Sultanes de Monterrey in the spring season and 2-3, 4.45 in the fall season as the LMB went to a two-season format for that year.

Switching winter league teams again, he was 2-2 with a 1.54 ERA for the 2018-2019 Charros de Jalisco. The team advanced to the 2019 Caribbean Series, where he struggled (2 H, 1 BB, 1 out), allowing one inherited run to score. He was a regular out of the Sultanes bullpen in 2019, going 3-0 with a save and a 3.22 ERA in 52 games, striking out 57 in 50 1/3 innings. Only Wirfin Obispo pitched more games for Monterrey. That winter, he was back in the rotation with Jalisco and went 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA.

He pitched for Mexico in the 2019 Premier 12, going 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in four games; only Humberto Castellanos and Brennan Bernardino made more appearances for Mexico. He started strong with a win over Tanner Houck and Team USA, retiring Alec Bohm, Brent Rooker, Jake Cronenworth, Erik Kratz and Drew Waters while allowing hits to Andrew Vaughn and Connor Chatham. He followed up with 1 1/3 scoreless against Taiwan and 1 2/3 shutout against tourney champion Japan. In the semifinals, he relieved Brennan Bernardino in the 5th with a 2-0 lead, one on and no outs and struggled as Eui-ji Yang walked, Jeong Choi singled and Byung-hun Min singled. Justin Kelly relieved but the other relievers also struggled as South Korea rallied to win, handing Felipe the loss. His team beat the US again in the 3rd/4th place game, though, to clinch a spot in the 2020 Olympics (which were later delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).