Jose Fernandez has been one of the better pitchers in 2013. At age 21, he has conquered the game of baseball, shutting down the competition start after start. Chances are that Clayton Kershaw will take the N.L. Cy Young award home. However, it's interesting to point out why Fernandez should be considered as the winner of the award.
Fernandez is drawing comparisons to some of the greatest pitchers to get on MLB mounds in the history of the game. You name them; Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden and Fernando Valenzuela, Fernandez has put up a solid 2013 season in his rookie year. Here are the numbers.
Fernandez: 11-6, 2.23 ERA, 165.2 IP, 182 K
Valenzuela: 13-7, 2.48 ERA, 192.1 IP, 180 K
Gooden: 17-9, 2.60 ERA, 218 IP, 276 K
Clemens: 9-4, 4.32 ERA, 133.1 IP, 126 IP
The difference between Fernandez and these three other pitchers is that the Cuban righty plays in an era where pitchers' outings and innings pitched are controlled and monitored. Who knows how many complete games Fernandez would have racked up if the Marlins let him pitch until he couldn't. Gooden was the only of the three who pitched over 200 innings in his first season and he played for a decent New York Mets team that won consistently, finishing with a 90-72 record in 1984. In his first complete season in the majors, Valenzuela pitched 11 complete games and eight shutouts. That is almost impossible to imagine this day in age.
Fernandez is unfortunate to pitch for the Miami Marlins, who are rebuilding at the moment, wasting one of the best ever pitching performances by a rookie. He's only surrendered more than three earned runs in an outing three times in 27 starts this season. The only pitcher in baseball with a better ERA is lefty, Clayton Kershaw (1.92). Unfortunately for Fernandez, they play in the same league and the Los Angeles Dodgers are making a playoff push. This also means Yasiel Puig is likely to win the Rookie of the Year award. Puig clearly changed the Dodgers' season after making his debut back in June.
Awards are great, but because of Kershaw's incredible 2013 season, chances are that Fernandez's 2013 season could be lost in the rubble. It just doesn't seem meant to be. He players with the Marlins and isn't in the limelight the way Kershaw and the Dodgers have dominated storylines.
