Jose Fernandez (2013-2016)
He only had two full seasons in the majors, but Jose Fernandez left an indelible impact upon the Miami Marlins.
His greatness was evident from the beginning. Not even two years after being selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, Fernandez was in the majors. He made the All Star team that year, and was the landslide winner in the NL Rookie of the Year vote. Fernandez even finished third in the Cy Young voting that year, showing that he had quite the bright future.
After missing most of the next two years due to Tommy John surgery, Fernandez was back at the top of his game in 2016. He made the All Star Game once more, and was one of the front runners for the Cy Young award. Then, tragedy struck, as he and two of his friends passed away in a boating accident, where Fernandez was piloting the boat while drunk. He was only 26 years old at the time.
Overall, Fernandez posted a 38-17 record, along with a 2.58 ERA and a 1.054 WHiP. In his 471.1 innings, he struck out 589 batters, issuing only 55 walks. His brilliance, flashing across the baseball landscape like a comet, was such that his number 16 was the first number to be retired by the Marlins.
Jose Fernandez was already a star with the Miami Marlins, and could have been one of the great pitchers of his time. Unfortunately, one bad decision ended his life far too soon.