Ryan

Feltner

Feltner loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning and was fortunate to come away with just one run allowed on a ground ball double play. He wasn’t so fortunate the following frame as he surrendered a three-run shot to Will Smith. Two more walks and two hits brought in a fifth run for Los Angeles and loaded the bases before Feltner was pulled with two outs in the third. Jake Bird would enter in relief and leave them loaded.

The 28-year-old right-hander scattered three hits on the afternoon while issuing a pair of walks. The lone tally against him came as Christian Yelich and William Contreras put together back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning. Feltner generated 10 swings and misses on 86 pitches on the day — four of those on his sweeper — while posting an elite CSW of 36 percent. Still looking for his first victory on the season, he’ll carry an impressive 2.81 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 16/4 K/BB ratio (16 innings) into Tuesday’s start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Probably because of sub-40-degree temperatures at Coors, Feltner’s velocity was down today, as he averaged 92.9 mph with his fastball. He was at 94.2 mph in his season debut and 94.5 mph on average last season. He was adequate anyway, but that’s all he was. He’ll make his next start at home Thursday against the Brewers.

The left-hander also struck out five and walked one on the day, with the only real damage being a two-run home run by Brandon Lowe. An injury to Josh Lowe did impact the quality of the lineup the Rays were able to put out there, but Feltner also induced 13 whiffs for a 31 percent whiff rate on the day. His changeup, in particular, was a strong offering for him on Sunday, but it’s hard to trust him in Coors Field against the Athletics next week.

This was certainly not the best that Feltner has to offer. The right-hander did manage to record three of his five outs via the strikeout, but this one was brutal. The big blow against him was a two-run blast by Adolis Garcia in the opening inning. Feltner threw just 26 of his 51 pitches for strikes, generating five swings and misses while posting a CSW of 20 percent. He’ll try to shake this one off and get back on track his next time out.

Feltner allowed just one hit on the afternoon — a leadoff single by Luke Raley in the second inning — though he did walk three batters. His punchout victims were Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Donovan Solano, J.P. Crawford and Victor Robles. The 28-year-old hurler got 12 swings and misses on 64 pitches in the game, posting a strong CSW of 34 percent. Feltner has impressed through his first three starts this spring, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 9/4 K/BB ratio over eight innings.

Feltner had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.6 million via arbitration, so it looks like the Rockies may have ended up with a nice discount here. The 28-year-old right-hander pitched decently during the 2024 season, posting a 4.49 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 138/52 K/BB ratio over 162 1/3 innings. He’s still going well outside the top 600 players overall in early fantasy drafts.

A fitting way to end the season for Feltner. He was a league-average pitcher and gave the Rockies 12 quality starts in 30 tries, yet he winds up with a 3-10 record to go along with his 4.49 ERA. He’ll certainly be one of the Rockies’ five starters again next year, and he’d be something who would be rather interesting if he didn’t have to deal with Coors Field.

Feltner left with a one-run lead, but it didn’t hold up. That’s probably something he’s used to at this point, as he’s gone 3-10 with a 4.66 ERA in his 29 starts. He’ll likely face the Dodgers on Sunday, and if he throws 5 2/3 innings then, he’ll qualify for the ERA title. He obviously won’t be anywhere near the ERA title, but that’s still an accomplishment.

Congrats to Feltner, who won in Coors Field for the first time since Aug. 9, 2002. He’d since gone winless in 21 starts in front of the home fans. Feltner’s peripherals suggest that he’s a perfectly fine No. 3 starter at this point of his career, but with Coors holding him back and the Rockies likely to have little interest in trading him, not a lot figures to change in 2025. He’ll face the Cardinals next week in what will probably be his final start of the season.