Félix Bautista

Félix Alexander Bautista
(The Mountain)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut April 10, 2022

• Born June 20, 1995 in Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

It took Félix Bautista a while to become an overnight success. A big man and always a hard thrower, he was originally signed as an international amateur free agent by the Miami Marlins in 2012, but toiled in the minors for a decade before making it to the Show, as control issues baffled him. During that long trek, he changed organizations, moving to the Baltimore Orioles as a minor league free agent in 2016.

He finally made his major league debut in April of 2022 after starting the season in the minors and quickly established himself as one of the top relievers on a vastly improved Orioles team. He went 4-4, 2.19 in 65 games, with 88 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings, taking over as the team's closer following the trade of Jorge López at the trading deadline, and notching 15 saves, 13 if these coming after July 28th. He continued in 2023 where he had left off the year before, earning a place on the All-Star team after going 4-1, 1.07 with 23 saves over the first half. By then the Orioles were on the verge of overtaking the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East, after the rays had gotten off to a historically strong start. He continued to be dominant over the next month, reinforcing his position as one of the most dominant closers in the majors, until on August 25th he had to leave a game against the Colorado Rockies with an injury. The Orioles explained two days later that it was "some degree of injury" to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, not the most reassuring of prognosis. Indeed, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, his season over, and he was likely to miss all or most of the following one as well. Following the 2023 season, he was named the winner of the Mariano Rivera Award in spite of missing the final month and the postseason. His final numbers for the year were a record of 8-2 with 33 saves, an ERA of 1.48, and 110 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (2023)
• Mariano Rivera Award Winner (2023)
• 30 Saves Seasons: 1 (2023)

Further Reading

• Paul Casella: "Strikeout artists Bautista, Williams named Relievers of the Year", mlb.com, November 29, 2023. [1]
• Brent Maguire: "Why this dominant reliever is so hard to hit", mlb.com, June 9, 2023. [2]
• Harvey Valentine: "O's Bautista to IL with 'some degree of injury' to UCL", mlb.com, August 26, 2023. [3]

Related Sites

• Félix Bautista on mlb.com