Felix Hernandez - Fantasy News & Updates
Felix Hernandez - Fantasy News & Updates
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After showing tremendous promise during parts of four Major League seasons, King Felix had a banner year in 2009, establishing himself as a Top 5 starter. It's scary when you consider that he's only 23 and already has Cy Young stuff. The sky is the limit for Hernandez.
It's the second monthly honor this season for King Felix, who led the Majors during September with five wins, a stellar 1.35 ERA, 32 strikeouts and just 33 hits through 46 2/3 innings. It’s a fitting ending to a Cy Young-caliber campaign in which Hernandez compiled a 19-5 record, a 2.49 ERA through 34 starts -- including an MLB-best 1.99 on the road -- and he ranked fourth in the AL with 217 strikeouts in 238 2/3 innings.
King Felix ended a possible Cy Young season with five consecutive wins, helping him join Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia and Adam Wainwright for the ML wins lead. The wins plus his 2.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 217 Ks in 238 2/3 innings make Hernandez one of the better starting options in the Majors. This was his first year that he finished with an ERA under 3.00 and a WHIP under 1.30, so the 23-year-old has turned in a corner into becoming one of the Majors' most dominant starters.
Another impressive effort from Hernandez, who improved to 6-0 with a 1.71 ERA over his last seven starts. He’ll look to further bolster his Cy Young candidacy when he totes a splendid 211/70 K/BB ratio into his last start of the season Oct. 3 vs. a Rangers club he’s already defeated three times in 2009.
Another sizzling night on the mound for King Felix, who remains in the think of the AL Cy Young Award race. By tallying a season-high 11 strikeouts, Hernandez also surpassed 200 for the first time in his career. Few pitchers have fared better than the Mariners ace, who has come into his own as a Top 5 starter this season.
Hernandez, who is second in the American League with a 2.45 ERA, would need to pitch on the last day of the season.
They say that it's better to be lucky than be good. King Felix was both Friday night, dominating the Yankees over nine strong frames (good) and getting a little help from Ichiro Suzuki, who blasted a walk-off shot against the normally untouchable Mariano Rivera (lucky). People will talk about Rivera's hiccup on Saturday, but what Felix did does not deserve to be lost in the shuffle. The ace righty pitched his second complete game of the season and notched his league-leading 26th quality start to improve to 16-5 -- a career high in wins -- with a hard-earned 2.45 ERA. Needing four Ks to reach the 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career, Hernandez will next take the rock on Sept. 24 against the Blue Jays.
Hernandez has won three times in his last four starts, and he's surrendered just one earned run in 22 September innings to lower his ERA to an impressive 2.52. Even with an outing vs. the powerful Yankees up next on Sept. 19, King Felix remains a must start.
Another day in the life of King Felix, who had little trouble outdueling Scott Kazmir and keeping the Angels lineup in check with 13 ground outs against five air outs. It's shaping up as a career year for Hernandez. Wednesday marked the seventh straight quality start, lowering his ERA to 2.65. The 23-year-old phenom already boasts a career-high 185 strikeouts, and he'll look to set a new record when he goes for win No. 15 against Kazmir and the Angels once more.
After winning seven consecutive starts between May 24 and July 22, Hernandez had lost two of three decisions despite surrendering three or fewer earned runs in each of his past five outings. King Felix ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2.77), strikeouts (178) and worst run support (5.63), but that wasn't the case Friday as his teammates hung a five-spot on the Royals in the first four innings, allowing the power-armed righty to cruise to victory. He'll look for win no. 14 when he next goes against the hard-hitting Angels on Sept. 2.
A sixth-inning error by second baseman Jose Lopez opened up the floodgates for the Indians who immediately went on to rap out four hits around a sacrifice fly to end King Felix's day after 101 pitches (67 of which were strikes). There were still some positives to take away from his latest quality start, including his six strikeouts and the fact that he did not walk a batter for the second time all year and the first time since May. The rocket-armed righty will look to start another winning streak on Aug. 28 at home against the Royals.
King Felix has thrown three straight quality starts without a win to show for it, though by no fault of his own. The Mariners offense has provided little support over that span, all while the right-hander has lowered his ERA to 2.66 and raised his strikeout total to 167. Those kinds of numbers make Hernandez a must-start, even if he remains stuck on 12-4 for the rest of the season.
King Felix has settled down since getting roughed up for 11 hits and seven earned runs on July 27 vs. the Blue Jays, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA over his last three outings. Of some concern are the 14 walks he’s issued in that span, the most he’s handed out in a three-start stretch all season. The young fireballer will look to command his pitches more effectively when he takes the hill again Aug. 18 in Detroit.
Hernandez had his usual plus stuff in this one, as evidenced by the scant amount of hits he allowed and seven Ks he rang up. Moreover, he threw a respectable 70 of 113 pitches for strikes, meaning the few batters he fell behind, he ended up walking. The walks have been an issue for King Felix recently, as he’s piled up 10 in his last two starts after totaling seven in his previous five. Overall, he’s fanned 148 batters against 49 walks with a stellar 2.84 ERA. He’s set to take his next turn in the rotation on Aug. 12 vs. the White Sox.
This wasn't King Felix at his most dominant -- he had just two strikeouts to go with those 10 baserunners -- but he had the guile and skill to work his way out of trouble all night. After a semi-shelling at the hands of Toronto on Monday, Hernandez bounced back with the sort of outing that has defined his breakout season -- steady, strong, spectacular when necessary. He has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts, and will look to build on this victory in his next turn, on August 7 against Tampa Bay, in Seattle.
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