2015 TCB Astros March Madness: Michael Feliz vs. Luis Valbuena

Just a reminder; voting will stay open for 24 hours for each of these match-ups, and there will be two match-ups per day. For a complete breakdown, check out the introductory post if you haven't already. Here's a link to the first round's wrap up post (wherein you'll find the updated bracket) if you need it. Get those votes in while you can!

Round Two, Match Eight

Michael Feliz, RHP

A 6’4", 210-pound, 21-year-old right-hander out of the Dominican Republic, Feliz has an impressive scouting profile - he pairs a mid-nineties fastball that’s been clocked as high as 99, with a major league slider, giving him one of the best one-two punches in the system. Feliz was originally signed by the A’s in 2010, but he lost that contract when he failed a PED test, later signing with the Astros for less money. After a slow ascent through the domestic rookie leagues, Feliz exploded in the New York-Penn League in 2013, posting a league-leading 1.96 ERA. 2014 saw another step forward, this time in the Midwest League, prompting the Astros to make him a late addition to the 40-man roster in anticipation of the Rule 5 draft. -- Anthony Boyer

VS.

Luis Valbuena, 3B

The pain of losing Dexter Fowler was lessened when it was learned that fan-favorite Valbuena was part of the return. A man squeezed out by the third base depth chart in Chicago, Valbuena will get the lion's share of the playing time in Houston, if not all of it, as his above-average glove, good walk rate, and double-digit home run power should provide a nice upgrade after Matt Dominguez posted the worst wRC+ of any full-time third sacker in 2014. -- Brian Stevenson