Even after his sudden and tragic death, the legend of Jose Fernandez continues to grow. MLB players voted the late Miami Marlins’ ace as Comeback Player of the Year.
José Fernández has been named the 2016 Comeback Player of the Year by @MLB_PLAYERS.#JDF16 | #PlayersChoiceAwards16 pic.twitter.com/OOumYhbyxn
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) November 10, 2016
It’s noteworthy that the voting for the award actually took place before Fernandez’s fatal boat accident. The finalists — which are announced after the voting — were announced the day before the late pitcher’s death.
Fernandez missed the majority of the 2014 and 2015 seasons with Tommy John Surgery. He returned to action in July 2015, but only briefly. In August, he was sidelined with another injury, and did not return to action until late September. In total, he started only 19 games over those two seasons.
Fernandez finished the year as one of baseball’s best pitchers. He had the seventh-lowest ERA in baseball, and was third only to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in total strikeouts.