By the time he turned 30, Hernandez seemed well on his way to Cooperstown. The 2010 Cy Young Award winner, Hernandez was twice the runner-up for the honor to go along with 4th, 7th, and 8th-place finishes as well.
He recorded his 2,000th inning in his age-28 season of 2014. The next year he struck out his 2,000th batter. In doing so he joined Hall of Famer hurlers Walter Johnson, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Bert Blyleven as the only men to reach 2,000 IP and 2,000 Ks before their 30th birthdays. With 11 big league seasons under his belt, Hernandez had 143 wins, 2,142 strikeouts, and a 49.9 WAR.
Then everything changed.
In his age-30 season of 2016 injuries limited Hernandez to just 25 starts – his fewest since his rookie campaign. He finished the year with 11 wins and a 3.82 ERA.
Never again did he reach double-digits in wins or post an ERA below 4.00.
From 2017-2019, Hernandez went 15-27 with a 5.42 ERA. After going 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA at the end of that run in ’19, the Mariners granted him free agency.
Hernandez felt he had something left to offer, and signed with the Braves in January, 2020. As the coronavirus delayed the start of the season, Hernandez opted out due to health concerns.
The following February he signed a minor league contract with the Orioles. The deal stipulated that Hernandez be granted free agency if not added to Baltimore’s 40-man roster by the end of March. When the Orioles failed to do so, Hernandez elected to retire.
His 15 seasons in Seattle make him the greatest pitcher in Mariners history. He stands as the Mariners franchise leader in starts, wins, ERA, strikeouts, and WAR.
In an emotional ceremony in August, 2023 King Felix was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.
Shown here is a PSA-authenticated signature of Hernandez on a ticket to his final minor league start. Pitching for Triple-A Tacoma, Hernandez was dominant. He threw four no-hit innings, and struck out seven. Five days later he made his big league debut in Detroit.