7/3/25 : Minor League Spotlight - Felix Reyes

Felix Reyes was signed by the Phillies on 2/22/20 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. The 2020 season was lost due to Covid restrictions therefore his player development plan didn’t begin in earnest till 2021. He was sent stateside to the Complex in Clearwater in May to participate in extended spring training camp and made his professional debut with the FCL Phillies in the Florida Complex League in June. From the beginning he hammered the baseball, in seven FCL games he hit two home runs - his first as a pro was a grand slam against the Blue Jays on 7/15/21.  Felix was promoted to the Clearwater Threshers on 8/3/21 and made 109 PA’s with them to finish the year.

In 2022 he broke spring camp with the Threshers but after 14 games was returned to  extended spring training and then played the balance of the year with the FCL Phillies. He didn’t put up dazzling numbers but for those of us that watched we were impressed by how hard he hit the baseball when he put it in play - rockets. His BP sessions were also fun to watch as he launched multiple baseballs over the fences. Defensive positioning was something yet to be figured out, while he showed athleticism and a decent arm his lack of foot speed presented a challenge - development plans were enacted and he split time that year at first base and right field. Later on in his career third base and left field would be added to the mix.

Felix began the 2023 season in extended spring training once more and showed both his willingness to play anywhere he was needed and even more athleticism as he manned the shortstop position for skipper Shawn Williams in XST games. With minor league roster limits imposed ya often see players in illogical defensive positions out of necessity in order to field a team.  Big Felix played admirably well there actually. He mashed the ball consistently in that camp and was promoted to Clearwater on 5/3/23 where he became an RBI machine for a very good Clearwater playoff team posting 62 RBIs in 67 games - he hit a solid .264 in 277 PA’s with 9 doubles and 9 home runs. On 8/25/23 he was promoted to High A Jersey Shore to finish the year - he delivered a clutch walk-off three run home run against Aberdeen on 9/3/23 that propelled the BlueClaws into the league playoffs and later went 4 for 8 in the Divisional playoffs against Hudson Valley.  FCL skipper Williams had this to say about Felix after the season when I asked about him “Felix played some shortstop in extended spring. Has good hands and arm, we figured it could only help him to get a few innings there and it did, made some very athletic plays. Always has a smile, great personality.  Loves the game, so refreshing to watch someone like that play. He can hit, has power and bat to ball skills.  Big body, can play both corners and the outfield.”

The entirety of the 2024 season was spent with Jersey Shore where he posted 8 home runs and drove in 50 with a .243 batting average in 353 PA’s. He played winter league baseball for a second consecutive season in Colombia and produced his best seasonal offensive statistics to date hitting .344/.386/.495 in 101 PA’s. He was assigned to Reading out of spring camp this year but stayed back for a bit in extended spring to work specifically on some hitting skills along with defensive drills. He joined Reading on 4/15/25 and thus far has produced his best minor league stats with a .306/.333/.556 slash line and an .889 OPS in 171 PA’s with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs and 21 RBIs. He had two consecutive outstanding months hitting .322 in May in 59 AB’s and .324 in June in 71 AB’s. I get a kick at listening to the Reading announcers anticipate his AB’s and how hard he might hit the baseball - good stuff 🤓.

I recently asked Felix a few questions, here’s our correspondence :

You signed with the Phillies in 2020 and came stateside in 2021 for your first season -what was that experience like?

“The opportunity to come to the United States for my first season was a great personal achievement, something I had always dreamed of,  I'm grateful to the Phillies for giving me the chance.”

What was it like growing up in the Dominican Republic, how proud are you to represent your family and hometown as a professional ball player?

“I grew up in a small town in Bani called Catalina. I was born and still live in the same place. I'm proud to represent my family and my town for having one more of the professionals in baseball.”

Your instagram handle is “the positive” - what does that symbolize for you?

“Well, the positive means that I always believe in what I do, always positive that everything will turn out well for me. Never negative.”

Almost every time I have watched you bat you hit the ball hard - what is your approach as a hitter? Do you look for certain pitches in situations or do you focus on the fastball and adjust?

“Since I was little, I've worked on hitting the ball hard. My focus is always on making contact. Standing in a good position to be ready for the fastball and able to react to slow pitches.”

The past two off seasons you’ve played winter ball in Colombia - this past season you posted a .344 batting average there and are now hitting .306 at Reading - did you change something in your swing that has allowed you to hit for a higher average?

“The winter league helped me a lot because I have played with a lot of experienced players. I changed my swing since I was hitting the ball too low. With the help of coordinator Manny Amador, I trained after playing in the winter league to adjust more.”

You have played multiple positions defensively - first and third base, both outfield corners and even shortstop in Extended Spring Training . What are your goals to finish the season?

“Yes, I believe I can play any position on the field. My goal for this season is to stay healthy, God willing, and finish strong.”

Felix is an aggressive hitter that puts the ball in play. He doesn’t walk (5 % of PA’s in his career, 4 % this season) or strike at a high rate (17 % of PA’s in his career - 16 % this season) and his bat to ball skills are excellent. Defensively he’s played mostly in the outfield corners this season, will surprise folks with his athleticism albeit foot speed will always be a challenge. He’s a very pleasant young man, has a great smile and is very well liked. Hitting rockets consistently is a good thing, he’s always done that including his seven Grapefruit League ST AB’s where he’s 3 for 7 with two doubles and five RBIs. Don’t discount “El Gato” from getting to the show - he’s got the skills and a positive attitude to perhaps make that happen some day - it would be a great thing to see!

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

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