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Jose Fernandez, the Marlins’ top pitching prospect, has a chance to win a championship Wednesday night with the Class A Jupiter Hammerheads in his first full season in professional baseball.
He’s hoping to do it again next season — with the Miami Marlins.
Fernandez’s rapid ascent through two low minor-league levels this season has elevated his name into front-office discussions about the composition of the Marlins’ starting rotation in 2013.
He almost certainly will start the season at Class AA Jacksonville. But if he dominates Southern League hitters the way he did batters this season in the South Atlantic and Florida State leagues, the Marlins could promote him as early as May or June.
“When I signed I told myself I wanted to get there when I was 21, but you never know what’s going to happen,’’ Fernandez said Monday, a day after he tossed five scoreless innings in his final start of the year to help Jupiter take a 2-1 lead in the FSL finals. Lakeland won 5-3 on Tuesday night to force a fifth and deciding game in the series Wednesday night.
“It’s my dream. I want to be one of the greatest pitchers in history, but I’m just going to keep trying to get better, and when I get there it will be because I’m ready.’’
Fernandez turns 21 on July 31. But the Marlins won’t rush him, even though they are eager to retool after a disastrous season.
The Marlins have taken steps to protect him by limiting his innings to no more than five per start. But Fernandez – drafted at 19 out of Tampa’s Alonso High School in 2011, three years after he defected from Cuba on a raft — has proven to be a winner so far.
He started the season 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 14 starts with Class A Greensboro, earning a promotion to Jupiter in late June. With the Hammerheads, he went 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 11 starts.
He has made two postseason starts, allowing a run in 10 innings.
“There’s a big learning curve in that first professional season for anyone and he has had that,’’ Hammerheads manager Andy Haines said.
“But with the performance he has had and as much as we have protected him with his innings in the second half, you can still see him getting stronger and getting better as the year went on, and that’s not very common for a first-year professional.’’
With experience, he is expected to become more efficient with his pitches, including a change-up, curve and a fastball that touches 98 mph.
Fernandez is aware of the hype surrounding him as the Marlins’ most exciting pitching prospect since Josh Beckett.
Beckett, who was drafted with the second overall pick in 1999 at 19, debuted in 2001 – less than four months after his 21st birthday — and was MVP of the World Series in 2003.
“That’s what I come every day to the park for — to get to the big leagues,’’ Fernandez said.
Fernandez said he spoke with the Marlins’ Jeffrey Loria when the owner visited Jupiter before the first FSL playoff game.
“He came over to me and said: ‘Just do everything you do. Don’t do anything different because everybody is here. Just pitch and have fun,’ ’’ Fernandez recalled.
When he is not playing baseball, he enjoys fishing from the Juno Beach pier, where he has had to set down his rod to sign autographs.
“The first time he paid with his credit card and I said, ‘I thought that was you!’ ’’ said Candy Molitor, the pier manager and Marlins fan.
Fernandez will spend this offseason as he did last winter, working out in the Tampa area with 40-year-old Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Contreras and retired pitcher Rolando Arrojo, 44. Both are, like Fernandez, natives of Cuba.
“They tell me ‘Just keep working. You will get there. Your stuff is good enough to make it and you will be successful,’ ’’ Fernandez said. “When people like that tell me that, I just want to work hard and get better.’’
He’s hoping to do it again next season — with the Miami Marlins.
Fernandez’s rapid ascent through two low minor-league levels this season has elevated his name into front-office discussions about the composition of the Marlins’ starting rotation in 2013.
He almost certainly will start the season at Class AA Jacksonville. But if he dominates Southern League hitters the way he did batters this season in the South Atlantic and Florida State leagues, the Marlins could promote him as early as May or June.
“When I signed I told myself I wanted to get there when I was 21, but you never know what’s going to happen,’’ Fernandez said Monday, a day after he tossed five scoreless innings in his final start of the year to help Jupiter take a 2-1 lead in the FSL finals. Lakeland won 5-3 on Tuesday night to force a fifth and deciding game in the series Wednesday night.
“It’s my dream. I want to be one of the greatest pitchers in history, but I’m just going to keep trying to get better, and when I get there it will be because I’m ready.’’
Fernandez turns 21 on July 31. But the Marlins won’t rush him, even though they are eager to retool after a disastrous season.
The Marlins have taken steps to protect him by limiting his innings to no more than five per start. But Fernandez – drafted at 19 out of Tampa’s Alonso High School in 2011, three years after he defected from Cuba on a raft — has proven to be a winner so far.
He started the season 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 14 starts with Class A Greensboro, earning a promotion to Jupiter in late June. With the Hammerheads, he went 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 11 starts.
He has made two postseason starts, allowing a run in 10 innings.
“There’s a big learning curve in that first professional season for anyone and he has had that,’’ Hammerheads manager Andy Haines said.
“But with the performance he has had and as much as we have protected him with his innings in the second half, you can still see him getting stronger and getting better as the year went on, and that’s not very common for a first-year professional.’’
With experience, he is expected to become more efficient with his pitches, including a change-up, curve and a fastball that touches 98 mph.
Fernandez is aware of the hype surrounding him as the Marlins’ most exciting pitching prospect since Josh Beckett.
Beckett, who was drafted with the second overall pick in 1999 at 19, debuted in 2001 – less than four months after his 21st birthday — and was MVP of the World Series in 2003.
“That’s what I come every day to the park for — to get to the big leagues,’’ Fernandez said.
Fernandez said he spoke with the Marlins’ Jeffrey Loria when the owner visited Jupiter before the first FSL playoff game.
“He came over to me and said: ‘Just do everything you do. Don’t do anything different because everybody is here. Just pitch and have fun,’ ’’ Fernandez recalled.
When he is not playing baseball, he enjoys fishing from the Juno Beach pier, where he has had to set down his rod to sign autographs.
“The first time he paid with his credit card and I said, ‘I thought that was you!’ ’’ said Candy Molitor, the pier manager and Marlins fan.
Fernandez will spend this offseason as he did last winter, working out in the Tampa area with 40-year-old Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Contreras and retired pitcher Rolando Arrojo, 44. Both are, like Fernandez, natives of Cuba.
“They tell me ‘Just keep working. You will get there. Your stuff is good enough to make it and you will be successful,’ ’’ Fernandez said. “When people like that tell me that, I just want to work hard and get better.’’
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