José Fernandez 1992-2016 |

Marlins’ star right-hander José Fernandez has died tragically in a boating accident, aged only 24. The Cuban-born Fernandez, whose family arrived in America only after three attempts to defect, won the 2013 RoY, underwent successful Tommy John surgery in 2014 from which he returned to action in 2015, and posted a stellar 2016 season, leading the majors in FIP and SO/9.

More after the jump on the brief but brilliant career of José Fernandez.

Here is Fernandez’s career.

Year	Age	Tm	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	IP	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
2013 ★	20	MIA	12	6	.667	2.19	28	28	172.2	58	187	176	2.73	0.979	*5.8*	0.5	3.0	9.7	3.22	AS,CYA-3,RoY-1
2014	21	MIA	4	2	.667	2.44	8	8	51.2	13	70	153	2.18	0.948	6.3	0.7	2.3	12.2	5.38
2015	22	MIA	6	1	.857	2.92	11	11	64.2	14	79	131	2.24	1.160	8.5	0.6	1.9	11.0	5.64
2016 ★	23	MIA	16	8	.667	2.86	29	29	182.1	55	253	137	*2.29*	1.119	7.4	0.6	2.7	*12.5*	4.60	AS
4 Yrs			38	17	.691	2.58	76	76	471.1	140	589	150	2.43	1.054	6.8	0.6	2.7	11.2	4.21
162 Game Avg.			17	8	.691	2.58	34	34	211	63	264	150	2.43	1.054	6.8	0.6	2.7	11.2	4.21

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/27/2016.

That 176 ERA+ in 2013 is the best of the live ball era in a qualified rookie season, and second only to Dwight Gooden‘s 229 in 1985 in any qualified season before age 21. Fernandez’s majors leading 5.8 H/9 in his rookie season is the 11th lowest mark in any qualified season since 1901, and the best by a rookie, by any pitcher aged 21 or younger, and by any live ball era right-handed pitcher aged 24 or younger. Despite having his career interrupted by Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for most of 2014 and 2015, Fernandez is the only live ball era starting pitcher with ERA and FIP both under 3 in 50+ IP in each of his first four seasons.

Fernandez’s start to his pitching career has few parallels in major league history, with his 150 career ERA+ ranking second since 1901 among pitchers with 75 career starts through age 23. Here’s that list.

Rk	Player	ERA+	GS	SO9	BB9	WHIP	From	To	Age	CG	SHO	W	L	W-L%	IP	ERA	FIP	Tm
1	Smoky Joe Wood	151	127	6.73	2.62	1.080	1908	1913	18-23	100	24	92	48	.657	1145.1	2.00	2.20	BOS
2	Jose Fernandez	150	76	11.25	2.67	1.054	2013	2016	20-23	0	0	38	17	.691	471.1	2.58	2.43	MIA
3	Walter Johnson	148	157	6.08	2.01	1.031	1907	1911	19-23	135	26	82	78	.513	1355.1	1.77	1.89	WSH
4	Bob Feller	136	175	7.66	5.06	1.356	1936	1941	17-22	117	16	107	54	.665	1448.1	3.18	3.45	CLE
5	Clayton Kershaw	135	116	9.36	3.49	1.173	2008	2011	20-23	6	3	47	28	.627	716.1	2.88	3.04	LAD
6	Christy Mathewson	135	160	5.70	2.41	1.131	1900	1904	19-23	137	20	97	62	.610	1388.1	2.28	2.49	NYG
7	John Candelaria	134	82	5.77	2.30	1.069	1975	1977	21-23	21	6	44	18	.710	571.1	2.74	3.53	PIT
8	Dwight Gooden	134	158	8.19	2.55	1.102	1984	1988	19-23	52	19	91	35	.722	1172.2	2.62	2.46	NYM
9	Bert Blyleven	134	178	7.37	2.15	1.135	1970	1974	19-23	77	21	80	75	.516	1335.2	2.74	2.55	MIN
10	Dean Chance	133	98	6.15	2.96	1.195	1961	1964	20-23	27	15	47	39	.547	751.1	2.65	2.79	LAA
11	Carlos Zambrano	132	80	7.55	4.10	1.321	2001	2004	20-23	4	2	34	29	.540	539.2	3.25	3.73	CHC
12	Noodles Hahn	132	149	4.50	1.94	1.156	1899	1902	20-23	137	16	84	59	.587	1316.2	2.60	2.77	CIN
13	Frank Tanana	131	137	7.79	2.43	1.107	1973	1977	19-23	73	19	66	49	.574	1082.0	2.69	2.92	CAL
14	Wes Ferrell	130	97	4.00	3.80	1.442	1927	1931	19-23	71	4	68	37	.648	832.2	3.55	4.13	CLE
15	Babe Ruth	129	128	3.86	3.12	1.091	1914	1918	19-23	93	17	80	41	.661	1057.0	2.09	2.65	BOS
16	Don Drysdale	128	142	6.91	2.76	1.200	1956	1960	19-23	47	14	66	54	.550	1071.1	3.21	3.24	BRO-LAD
17	Ismael Valdez	127	91	6.82	2.25	1.144	1994	1997	20-23	6	2	41	30	.577	647.2	3.03	3.50	LAD
18	Bret Saberhagen	126	108	5.65	1.74	1.136	1984	1987	20-23	31	8	55	39	.585	806.0	3.39	3.34	KCR
19	Felix Hernandez	125	138	8.06	2.85	1.271	2005	2009	19-23	7	3	58	41	.586	905.0	3.45	3.54	SEA
20	Dontrelle Willis	125	93	6.83	2.64	1.254	2003	2005	21-23	11	7	46	27	.630	594.0	3.27	3.45	FLA

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/27/2016.

An impressive group to say the least. Fernandez leads the group in SO/9 and ranks second in WHIP and third in W-L%, the latter mark particularly impressive considering the teams Fernandez played on. Fernandez is the only pitcher, regardless of ERA+, with a SO/BB ratio above 4 in 75+ starts through age 23.

Fernandez is one of only 20 pitchers (out of 287) since 1913 to record quality starts in two-thirds of 50+ starts through age 23. His performance at home was particularly impressive, with a remarkable 29-2 record from a 1.49 ERA and 0.918 WHIP in 42 home starts. Included was a run of 26 home starts without a loss, the longest searchable streak by any pitcher to begin his career.

Fernandez was a complete pitcher with four pitches that he used frequently. Of 131 pitchers with 400 IP for 2013 to 2016, Fernandez was the youngest of only 25 to throw his slider, curveball and changeup all more than 10% of the time (with Trevor Bauer of the Indians the only other pitcher of the group to do so through age 25). Of 23 pitchers since 2002 with 400 IP through age 23, only Felix Hernandez, CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke matched Fernandez with 10% sliders, curveballs and changeups. Of that same group of 23, Fernandez’s 95.2 mph fastball velocity is the top mark.

RIP José. We will miss you.

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Dr. Doom

7 years ago

Really good synopsis, Doug! It is really amazing how well Fernandez played so young. Most of the comparable pitchers to him seem to have flamed out – just look at the ones with 76-98 starts on the table above. Nonetheless, Fernandez seemed so ideally suited for his era that I don’t think it’s too much to say that he seemed more the exception than the rule. You pointed out that he’s the only pitcher with 75+ starts through age-23 with better than a 4:1 K:BB ratio. It’s not even close. Using the table above, here are the only pitchers above… Read more »

Doug

Reply to Dr. Doom

I’ve got it. Thanks.

Just haven’t got around to posting it. Will do so soon.

Hartvig

The first name that came to mind when I heard about this was Steve Olin.

It also got me thinking about who might be considered the “best” athlete to die tragically at such an early age. I thought right away of Len Bias and then Ernie Davis. My time in Iowa City also brough Nile Kinnick to mind but a) he was 24 when he was killed in WW2 and b) he went to law school instead of the NFL after graduation (altho he did get several offers from the NFL).

I’m sure there must be others I’m forgetting about.

Author

Reply to Hartvig

Pitchers whose death was most proximate to their careers, by WAR. Player WAR Died Born From To Age Tm Addie Joss 45.9 1911 1880 1902 1910 22-30 CLE Don Wilson 27.7 1975 1945 1966 1974 21-29 HOU Tiny Bonham 24.5 1949 1913 1940 1949 26-35 NYY-PIT Togie Pittinger 21.2 1909 1872 1901 1907 29-35 BSN-PHI Darryl Kile 20.5 2002 1968 1991 2002 22-33 HOU-COL-STL Cy Blanton 14.8 1945 1908 1934 1942 25-33 PIT-PHI Lynn McGlothen 14.3 1984 1950 1972 1982 22-32 BOS-STL-SFG-CHC-CHW-NYY Jose Fernandez 13.2 2016 1992 2013 2016 20-23 MIA Hugh Casey 12.7 1951 1913 1935 1949 21-35 CHC-BRO-PIT-NYY… Read more »

yippeeyappee

Reply to Doug

JR Richard is still with us , though hos career was abruptly ended by a stroke.

Reply to yippeeyappee

Right you are, Yippee. My mistake.

Paul E

David Overstreet (RB – N F L) ?
Salvador Sanchez (all-time great featherweight) ?
Jerome Brown (DT – N F L) ?

Reply to Paul E

Howie Morenz in hockey. He died in 1937 from complications in treating a broken leg suffered during a game. Was voted the top player of the half century in 1950. Bill Masterton is hockey’s equivalent of Ray Chapman. Not a star as Chapman was, but died after his head struck the ice in a 1968 game. That tragic event led to popularizing the use of helmets, then worn by only a handful of NHL players and not compulsory at any level (even in kids hockey, as I can personally attest to – my coach said “helmets are for sissies”). Five… Read more »

Kahuna Tuna

Also, HOF goalie Terry Sawchuk died at age 40 in 1970, less than two months after participating in the New York Rangers’ quarterfinals loss to the Boston Bruins. He suffered internal injuries in a drunken fight with a teammate over expenses for the house they’d been renting together. Sawchuk was operated on twice in the hospital but never recovered.

For his career, Sawchuk won 447 games and lost 330, with 172 ties. His 103 career shutouts stood as the all-time NHL record until 2009. He had a career goals-against average of 2.52.

Reply to Kahuna Tuna

And Tim Horton, all star NHL defenceman in a 25 year career (23 as a regular), mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Was still playing regularly at age 44 when he died, driving drunk and speeding on an icy highway in 1974.

One of the saddest stories I’ve ever read or heard was in regard to the death of Jack Trice, an African American lineman with the Iowa State Cyclones back in the eraly 1920’s. Basically, the opposition (Minnesota?) ganged up on him the entire game and Trice died on the train ride back to Ames. Woven in the story were details from his personal diary written in the days prior to the big game that spoke of his absolute determination to do well….
The football stadium is named after him