José Fernández was a Cuban-American professional baseball pitcher who played four seasons in Major League Baseball. He was a member of the Miami Marlins from 2013 until he died in 2016. He stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 243 pounds during his playing career.
He made three unsuccessful attempts at defecting to the United States before he finally succeeded in 2008. He enrolled at Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida, and was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft.
Fernández made his MLB debut with the Marlins on April 7, 2013. He was named to the 2013 National League All-Star Team and won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month Award in July and August.
After the season, he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in Cy Young Award balloting. He underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2014 season and was named to his second All-Star Game in 2016.
Fernández was the captain when he and two other men were killed in a pre-dawn boating crash into a jetty off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, on September 25, 2016.
Who Was On The Boat With Jose Fernandez?
The accident killed Fernandez 24, Emilio Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25.
How Many Times Did Jose Fernandez Try to Escape Cuba?
It took four attempts and multiple prison stints for defection before José Fernández made it to the U.S.
How Did Jose Fernandez Come to America?
Fernández finally reached the United States after his fourth attempt to leave Cuba in a raft.