MLB Honors Legendary Seattle Mariners Pitcher on Social Media

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Teren Kowatsch | Last updated Sep 18, 2024 7:00 PM ET

September 15-Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month and Major League Baseball and its 30 respective teams have been celebrating the month in various ways. In conjunction with honoring various Hispanic cultures, the league and the teams have been celebrating various Hispanic baseball legends.

And the MLB highlighted one of the greatest players in Seattle Mariners history as part of HHM.

The official MLB 'X' account honored Venezuelan pitcher and arguably the best starter in Seattle history, Felix Hernandez on ,Wednesday:

"Félix Hernández was one of the most colorful and dominant pitchers of the last 20 years, electrifying a Seattle crowd that came to be called “The King’s Court.”

King Félix leads all Venezuelan-born pitchers in wins (169) and strikeouts (2,524). A 6-time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, Hernández hurled the 23rd perfect game in MLB history on August 15, 2012."

Félix Hernández was one of the most colorful and dominant pitchers of the last 20 years, electrifying a Seattle crowd that came to be called “The King’s Court.”

King Félix leads all Venezuelan-born pitchers in wins (169) and strikeouts (2,524). A 6-time All-Star and the 2010 AL… pic.twitter.com/SiDJVnPlq1
— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2024

Hernandez tops, or is among the leaders, in various Mariners franchise pitching records. He's tied for first in ERA (3.42), is first in career WAR (49.9), first in wins (169), first in strikeouts (2,524), first in innings pitched (2,729.2), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (8.32) and fourth in FIP (3.52).

Hernandez has the only perfect game in Seattle's franchise history, which he accomplished on Aug. 15, 2012 against the Tampa Bay Rays. That was the last time the Mariners faced the minimum number of batters (27) until George Kirby, Trent Thornton and Eduard Bazardo did it on a 7-0 victory against the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

Hernandez, along with another Seattle legend Ichiro Suzuki, is up for Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 2025. His number isn't retired per the franchise's rules on players having to be inducted into the HOF to have their number retired.

But no player has worn Hernandez's #34 since he hung up the cleats at the end of the 2019 season.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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