The upcoming season will be Justin Felix’s second season in both professional baseball and with the Sioux City Explorers.
Felix was added to the X’s roster on June 15th of the 2019 season. Playing primarily as the backup catcher he appeared in 27 games. Twelve of those were as a catcher with the rest being played in the outfield as the rookie did whatever the team asked of him.
He hit for a .170 average but showed flashes of impressive power. In only 53 at bats he had nine hits and five of those were home runs. A pace of a homer every 10.6 at bats. He scored nine runs, drove in six, walking 11 times adding a double and a triple.
Prior to joining the Explorers the soon to be 25 year old was playing collegiately for the Arkansas State Red Wolves. In two seasons he hit for a .257 average, and an .886 OPS. In 107 games, with 18 homers, 26 doubles, 80 runs and 87 RBI. His two seasons in Jonesboro, Arkansas however were split into three years as he missed the 2018 season with an injury and took a medical redshirt. In both seasons led the team in homers and was either first or second in RBI.
The Nogales, Arizona native also spent two seasons at the New Mexico Military Institute. In his sophomore season with the Broncos he led the team in, batting average (.395), on base percentage (.465), slugging percentage (.811), home runs (18) and was second on the team with 64 RBI. He finished third in school history in career home runs. He was named All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference and the schools Most Improved Athlete for 2016.
His senior season at Nogales High School he was named the Spring Male Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Conference as he helped lead the Apaches to a Division II state runner-up finish.