Written by David Levin at Scout.com
Miami Marlins have their ace back in the rotation. Can Fernandez deliver like in 2014?
Jose Fernandez is right where he wants to be – as the ace of the Miami Marlins pitching staff. The leader of the band also makes his return from the disabled list where he missed a good portion of the season. Although he was not the start for the team’s opening game against the Detroit Tigers, Fernandez takes to the mound in the team’s second stint against the American League team. Fernandez is happy to be back pitching and hopes to make the most of the opportunity that was missed last season.
“Any day you can go out there and get a chance to put on a major league uniform you feel lucky,” Fernandez said in a story in the Miami Herald. “I feel great, ready to go. The chemistry on our team this year is fantastic. It’s a nice way to start a year.”
Ironically, Fernandez faces former Marlins star Anibal Sanchez in his first start of the season. The Marlins are counting on the 23-year-old and Wei-Yin Chen to lead a young staff that needs to log innings and get stronger as the season progresses.
It’s the start of a solid foundation – one that could be one of the better starting combinations in the National League. It also means a solid top of the rotation could allow for Tom Koehler, Jarred Cosart and Adam Conley to come along at a steady, but non-rushed pace.
Still, everything falls on the shoulders of Fernandez, who showed in 2014 he could be an ace for years to come. Fernandez has not pitched a full season since 2013 when he was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year, made the All-Star team and finished third in the Cy Young voting.
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