Starting pitcher José Fernandez of the Miami Marlins has been named National League Player of the Week for the week of May 9th-15th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Fernandez was 2-0 in two starts last week, tying for the Major League lead in wins, while fanning a Major League-best 22 over 14.0 innings of work. The 2013 NL All-Star and Rookie of the Year posted a 0.64 ERA last week, allowing just one earned run while scattering eight hits across his two outings. In yesterday's series finale at Washington, Fernandez fanned 11 in 7.0 innings of work to improve to 5-2 on the season as the Marlins defeated the Nationals, 5-1. The 23-year-old's performance gave him 405 career strikeouts in 55 career games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only active pitcher to reach the 400-strikeout plateau in fewer outings is Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers, who recorded his 400th strikeout in his 50th career contest. On Monday, May 9th, Fernandez also recorded 11 strikeouts while holding the visiting Milwaukee Brewers scoreless through his 7.0 innings of work in an eventual 4-1 victory. With the effort, the Santa Clara, Cuba native improved his Marlins Park record to 20-1 with a 1.65 ERA. The only other pitcher in the live-ball era to win 20 of his first 30 home starts with an ERA below 2.00 was Dwight Gooden, who posted a 22-4 record with a 1.84 ERA over his first 30 career home starts at Shea Stadium with the New York Mets (Elias). This is the fourth career NL Player of the Week honor for Fernandez (also: July 22-28, 2013; August 19-25, 2013; and March 31-April 6, 2014), the most by a pitcher in club history.
Other noteworthy performances last week included Fernandez's Marlins teammate Marcell Ozuna (.500, 8 R, 13 H, .536 OBP); Colorado's Charlie Blackmon (.391, 4 R, HR, 7 RBI, .444 OBP); Addison Russell (.389, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .944 SLG, .450 OBP) of the Chicago Cubs; Milwaukee's Jonathan Villar (.414, 12 H, 3 SB, .485 OBP); Clayton Kershaw (1-0, CG, SHO, 13 SO, 9.0 IP) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Mike Leake (2-0, 1.29 ERA, 8 SO, 14.0 IP) of the St. Louis Cardinals; and Washington's Max Scherzer (1-0, 2.00 ERA, 20 SO, 9.0 IP).
In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, José Fernandez will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.