Seattle Mariners Royalty Felix Hernandez on Hall of Fame Ballot For The First Time
The Seattle Mariners will have a chance to add two names to the retired jerseys of Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jackie Robinson in 2025.
The Mariners have an unofficial rule that they won't retire jerseys unless the player is inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. That's why Martinez and Griffey Jr. are the only players in franchise history that have had their numbers retired. Every single club in the MLB has Robinson's No. 42 retired due to his impact on the game in breaking down the color barrier.
Seattle will have a chance to add two new franchise greats' jerseys to Martinez's No. 11 and Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 in 2025.
Former starting pitcher Felix Hernandez and former outfielder Ichiro Suzuki are on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2025, it was revealed on Monday.
Hernandez was the longest-tenured pitcher in the history of the Mariners. He threw 15 years from 2005-2019 and owns the only perfect game in franchise history, which he threw on Aug. 15, 2012, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was a six-time All-Star in 2009 and 2011-15 and won the American League Cy Young in 2010. He led the AL in ERA twice in 2010 and 2014.
A reign for the ages. #FélixHOF pic.twitter.com/6Tyc6xMwoM
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) November 18, 2024
Hernandez owns the franchise record in pitcher's bWAR (49.9), ERA (3.42), wins (169), strikeouts (2,524) and games started (418).
Hernandez was often the lone highlight during some of the worst years in franchise history. Seattle never made the playoffs in Hernandez's decade-and-a-half with the organization. The Mariners posted losing records in 10 of Hernandez's 15 years in the majors. The best season Seattle had with Hernandez on the mound was in his second-to-last season in 2018, where they had an 89-73 record.
The biggest case against Hernandez for being a Hall of Famer is the fact that he didn't pitch in the playoffs and the drop off at the end of his career. In the final three years of his career, Hernandez posted ERAs of 4.36 in 2017, 5.55 in 2018 and 6.40 in 2019. He started 59 games over that three-year stretch.
But Hernandez's peak was among the best in baseball for his era. And his six top-10 AL Cy Young finishes (four top five) might be enough to get him a bust in Cooperstown.
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