Dec 20, 2018

Rookie of the Year: Jose Fernandez, 2013

Pitcher, Miami Marlins


Age:  21 (July 31)
Bats – Right, Throws – Right
Height: 6’3”    Weight: 240

Prior to 2013:
A native of Santa Clara in Cuba, Fernandez began playing youth baseball there. After his stepfather defected to the United States, he attempted to follow suit. Captured and imprisoned three times, Fernandez finally succeeded in 2008 in a perilous crossing to Florida at age 15 and settled in Tampa the next year. At Braulio Alonso High School he was part of teams that won state championships during his sophomore and senior years. Initially declared ineligible as a senior because he entered the ninth grade in Cuba in 2006 he successfully appealed the ruling and went on to compile a 13-1 record that included two no-hitters, with a 2.34 ERA and 134 strikeouts. Selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, he received a $2 million signing bonus. Fernandez started a game apiece for two Rookie-level teams in 2011 and was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA. Moving on to Greensboro of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2012, he went 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 79 innings pitched. Moving on to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the advanced Class A Florida State League, Fernandez produced a 7-1 record with a 1.96 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. As a result, instead of being advanced to Class AA, he made the jump to Miami’s opening day roster in 2013 as a result of injuries among the pitching staff.

2013 Season Summary
Appeared in 28 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching
Games – 28
Games Started – 28
Complete Games – 0
Wins – 12
Losses – 6
PCT - .667 [5, tied with Mat Latos & Mike Leake]
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 0
Innings Pitched – 172.2
Hits – 111
Runs – 47
Earned Runs – 42
Home Runs – 10
Bases on Balls – 58
Strikeouts – 187 [14, tied with Mat Latos]
ERA – 2.19 [2]
Hit Batters – 5
Balks – 1 [14, tied with many others]
Wild Pitches – 3

Midseason Snapshot: 5-5, ERA - 2.75, SO - 103 in 104.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 8 IP) vs. Cleveland 8/2
10+ strikeout games – 4
Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 7 IP) at Philadelphia 5/4, vs. Washington 9/6

Batting
PA – 58, AB – 50, R – 5, H – 11, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, HR – 1, RBI – 5, BB – 0, SO – 20, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .220, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 1

Fielding
Chances – 38
Put Outs – 22
Assists – 15
Errors – 1
DP – 0
Pct. - .974

Awards & Honors:
NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA
All-Star
3rd in NL Cy Young voting (62 points, 30% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):
Jose Fernandez, Mia.: 142 pts. – 26 of 30 first place votes, 95% share
Yasiel Puig, LAD: 95 pts. – 4 first place votes, 63% share
Shelby Miller, StL.: 12 pts. – 8% share
Hyun-Jin Ryu, LAD.: 10 pts. – 7% share
Julio Teheran, Atl.: 7 pts. – 5% share

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Marlins went 62-100 to finish fifth in the NL Eastern Division.

Aftermath of ‘13:
Fernandez got off to a 4-2 start with a 2.44 ERA in 2014 when his season was cut short due to having “Tommy John” surgery on his pitching elbow. He returned to the Marlins in July of 2015 and started 11 games, producing a 6-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. Fernandez profited from his outstanding fastball, slurve, and changeup. His exuberant personality led to his being nicknamed “Nino” by his teammates. He was an All-Star once again in 2016 as he compiled a 16-8 record with a 2.86 ERA and 253 strikeouts until tragedy struck in September when he was killed in a boating accident off of Miami Beach at age 24. In his all-too- brief career Fernandez went 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA and 589 strikeouts in 471.1 innings pitched. The Marlins retired his #16.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

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