It was announced last week that King Felix will pitch on Opening Day for the Mariners in 2017. This, of course, comes as no surprise. Since coming into the league in 2005 as a 19-year-old Hernandez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. His best season came in 2010 when he led the league in ERA, innings pitched, and hits per nine en route to winning the American League Cy Young. His stats were so good that he won despite winning just 13 games.
Yet incredibly Hernandez has never pitched in a postseason game. The Mariners haven't made the playoffs since their 116 win season in 2001 and are in serious danger of completely wasting their franchise player's prime.
As a 30-year-old in 2016 Felix suffered his highest ERA in a decade. Over the past three seasons his K/9 has dropped every year while his BB/9 has risen each year. You never want to bet against a pitcher with the talent of Hernandez but there's a chance his best days are behind him. He'll have to make some adjustments this year to remain one of the league's elite starting pitchers.
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