MLB Player Profile: Felix Hernandez
Felix Hernandez has been an epic starting pitcher since a very young age and has replicated this reputation in the Major League Baseball since his debut with the Seattle Mariners on August 5, 2005. The right-handed pitcher, nicknamed “King Felix”, hails
from Venezuela and was born on April 8, 1986.
Hernandez came to the limelight at a very young age of 14 when a few Mariners’ scouts spotted him in a tournament and were impressed to see the boy throwing at 100 mph. The Mariners were quick to offer Hernandez a contract as soon as he turned 16, the minimum
age as per MLB rules. The Mariners, however, were not the sole bidders for the blooming talent as other teams, including New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves also showed interest, with the latter offering the most lucrative deal.
However, Hernandez had always idealised Freddy Garcia and his presence at Seattle at that time compelled the youngster to sign the deal with Mariners. Hernandez was given a signing bonus of $710,000 and at the age of 16, this amount was hefty. He officially
became a Mariner on July 4, 2002.
Apart from the fastball that touches the 100 mph, Felix has a wide range of deliveries which includes a split-finger fastball, slider, curveball and the lethal sinker. His repertoire of deliveries has enabled him to produce strike-outs at will and very rarely
does he witness his pitch being hammered in the air.
Hernandez impressed in his tenure with the Mariners’ Minor League affiliates and his consistency became his strength. 2005 saw him being named the top pitching prospect in baseball and the second-best overall behind Joe Mauer by Baseball America. He earned
a call to the Triple-A All-Star Game but a shoulder injury forced him to stay away from the game.
August 4 of the same year, nonetheless, became a day to bask in personal glory for Hernandez who was called to represent the Mariners in the Majors. Although the game ended as a disappointment for the starter, he became the youngest pitcher to appear in
the Major League at 19 years and 118 days.
In 12 starts in 2005, Hernandez managed a 4-4 win-loss record at an ERA of just 2.67. He bagged 77 strike-outs over 84.1 innings to announce his entry on the big stage. He exhausted his quota of the minimum innings to remain a rookie pitcher and thus did
not enjoy the rookie tag in his first complete season.
Felix’s first season saw him start 31 games for the Mariners which included a complete-game shutout. He was purposely kept below the 200 innings mark to avoid injury and thus saw a few scheduled starts being scratched. His win-loss record remained decent
at 12-14 but he stamped his authority on the circuit with 176 strike-outs to his credit.
Hernandez continued to impress in the subsequent seasons. He improved his ERA while maintaining the number of strike-outs he produced over 160 per season. 2007 saw him produce an outstanding 14-7 record which served as a catalyst to enhance his performance.
Hernandez reached the peak of his career in 2009 when he pitched 238.2 innings in 34 starts to bag 217 strike-outs. This was the first time that the right-handed pitcher had crossed the 200 barrier. His win-loss record stood eminent at 19-5 and this achievement
earned him his first call to the All-Star roster. His second selection to the All-Star team came in 2011.
Felix earned the Cy Young Award in 2010 when he completed more than 200 strike-outs for the second year running. This year too, Hernandez has bagged 174 strike-outs in 25 starts and is well set to repeat the feat for the third consecutive year.
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