| Douglas Benton. 18th August, 2005 - 3:17 pm
 Don’t look now, but we have the next great pitcher on our hands. With previous phenoms Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, and Josh Beckett now regulated to trips to the disabled list, it is time to come up with the next great pitcher. That pitcher is Seattle Mariners’ right hander Felix Hernandez.
Hernandez, just 19 years old, has the composure of a grizzled veteran, which has evoke comparisons to a boy wonder of two decades ago, Dwight Gooden. While some might argue it is quite a comparison for someone with only three big league starts, the numbers sure back up this lofty comparison.
In just 21 innings this year, Hernandez is 2-1 with a minuscule 0.86 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. He has also struck out 21 batters, while just giving up three walks and a .151 average to his opponents. Numbers like these alone would be cause for celebration, but not in the case of Hernandez.
He has long been dubbed the “Chosen One” and one suited to fill the role of ace ever since Randy Johnson was dealt to Houston years ago. Now Seattle might have their man that can carry their pitching staff and push Seattle over the hump and back toward the playoffs.
Hernandez will also be aided with the final six weeks of the season being a sort of training ground that will allow Hernandez to comfortably access his new role in Seattle. Remember that the Chicago Cubs brought up Mark Prior in 2002 midway through the season and he favored well, going 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA. The next season, he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA, while almost taking the Cubs to the World Series.
Granted, these comparisons to Gooden are a bit premature, but if he is even close to Gooden, the Mariners will have their ace for the next 15 years. Gooden won 58 games in his first three years, while leading the Mets to the World Series in 1986. |
