José Fernández (pitcher)
José Delfín Fernández Gómez (July 31, 1992 – September 25, 2016) was a Cuban-born American professional baseball pitcher who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a member of the Miami Marlins from 2013 until his death in 2016. He stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 243 pounds (110 kg) during his playing career. He was affectionately known as "Niño" to his teammates and fans due to the youthful exuberance with which he played the game.
| José Fernández | |
|---|---|
Fernández with the Miami Marlins in 2016 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 31, 1992 Santa Clara, Cuba | |
| Died: September 25, 2016 (aged 24) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 7, 2013, for the Miami Marlins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 20, 2016, for the Miami Marlins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 38–17 |
| Earned run average | 2.58 |
| Strikeouts | 589 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Fernández was born in Santa Clara, Cuba. He made three unsuccessful attempts at defecting to the United States before he finally succeeded in 2008. He enrolled at Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida, and was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft. Fernández made his MLB debut with the Marlins on April 7, 2013. He was named to the 2013 National League All-Star Team, and won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month Award in July and August. After the season, he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in Cy Young Award balloting. He underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2014 season and was named to his second All-Star Game in 2016.
Fernández and two other men were killed in a pre-dawn boating crash into a jetty off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, on September 25, 2016.