Former New York Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano has suddenly passed away at the young age of 45. The team released a statement confirming the news.
Whenever he suited up for the New York Mets, lefty hurler Pedro Feliciano was always cheered on loudly by the fans in Flushing. He spent his entire nine-year career in the majors with the Mets, recording more than 383 innings of work.
On Monday, however, terrible news has come in that Feliciano passed away in his sleep. He was only 45 years at the time of his death.
The Mets released a statement on the passing of Feliciano:
“The Mets are so saddened to hear of the loss to their family today. Pedro Feliciano will be remembered as a beloved member of the Mets organization for his impact as a great teammate as well as his reputation as one of the most competitive, durable and reliable relievers during his time in Queens. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Feliciano family. Rest in peace, Pedro.”
Former Mets pitcher Pedro Feliciano spent his entire career with the club
ESPN commentator Eduardo Perez broke the news of Feliciano dying. He added the former Met was also enjoying a day of jet skiing with his family on Sunday. In 2013, Feliciano was diagnosed with a rare heart condition, but he hadn’t shown any signs of his health deteriorating.
As of now, no exact cause of death has been announced. Feliciano was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 1995, but then made his way to the Mets. He made his debut with the NL East team in 2002. That season, he appeared in only six games.
However, he saw his work with New York continue to grow and grow each campaign after that. Between 2008 and 2010, Feliciano made 86, 88 and 92 appearances, respectively. Those numbers are wild to even think about. It shows how durable of an arm he was for the Mets.
Feliciano ended up signing with the Yankees in 2011, but didn’t make any big-league appearances for the club. He then returned to the Mets in 2013 for one last go in the majors and made 25 trips to the bump.