"None of them were as talented as Jose Fernandez. As has been the case with a handful of other installments in Marlin Maniac's Best To Wear The Marlins Jersey Number Series, there should have been no doubt on what name was coming with this particular jersey number. No Marlins player has ever played better with No. 16 on their backs. No WAR adjustment was necessary here, as Fernandez wins the top spot in a landslide,"
"The fact that he died the way that he died is the only thing that has kept Miami from officially retiring the number and has nothing to do with a life lived much prior to that fateful night or a career played the way it was played. Yet all of those factors have combined to bring about the state of unofficial retirement that exists for this number."
"For those that need the numbers, it was a 14.2 WAR career for Fernandez. That number is impressive enough in its own right, good enough for sixth all-time in franchise history for pitching WAR. Yet there a couple caveats that make that number all the more exceptional. Primarily, he put up that 14.2 WAR figure over over just four seasons...in less than three full seasons worth of work."
Jose Fernandez dominated as a Miami Marlins pitcher and stands clearly above other players to wear No. 16. He compiled 14.2 WAR in a career that spanned parts of four seasons, effectively less than three full seasons of work. Fernandez missed most of 2014 and significant 2015 time due to Tommy John recovery. The number 16 is effectively unofficially retired by the franchise and its community, making future use extremely unlikely. Miami has not officially retired the number, and the circumstances surrounding his death are central to that decision.
Read at Marlin Maniac
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