The Legacy of Jose Fernandez’s Final Game
In this story:
No one would have anticipated what was about to come. It's been 10 years since the late, great Jose Fernandez pitched the last game of his young career for the Miami Marlins.
The Cuban right-hander was the team's ace. He lit up the clubhouse and the stadium with his smile, consistent pitching, and personality. Fernandez was flawless with 12 strikeouts and allowed just three hits with no runs through eight innings pitched against the Washington Nationals.
The Final Game and Interview of Fernandez' MLB Career
It's a game that defined one of Fernandez's best performances as a member of Miami during his four-year career with the team. Fernandez retired 21 straight batters.
Barry Bonds, who was the hitting coach at the time, loved being around Fernandez and always supported him. Their relationship was always fun to watch on the TV screen. When Fernandez finished the night, one of the people smiling in the dugout was Bonds.
"He's telling me how I don't have a complete game, and I can never pass a six or a seven," Hernandez said. "I really tried today to throw more, maybe, but man, just lucky, happy. I got lucky today, and we came out on top today. There are things he told me about how to throw to the hitters, and everybody's putting in a little bit of work, and at this point in the season we all know what it takes, and we're trying to get there."
"Can't go past 7! Can't go past 7!"
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) September 20, 2026
In his final postgame interview, José Fernández speaks about the Marlins competing for a playoff spot, staying healthy throughout the 2016 season and his friendship with Barry Bonds. pic.twitter.com/2XYVxuuksN
Fernandez stayed healthy throughout the 2016 season after having a season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2014. Without that injury, he would have accumulated more wins and had more success.
Sadly, five days later, Fernandez was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida. His death sent shockwaves throughout baseball. At the time, the Marlins were not close to clinching a playoff spot, but they were in the hunt for the wild card. The team had a lot of talent, and his death changed the organization's direction.
Fernandez, who was 24, and Giancarlo Stanton were the leaders and best players on the team. His impact on the Marlins franchise was massive. It was a loss that took them years to recover from. Fernandez posted great numbers pitching at home. He went 29-2 with a 1.49 ERA in 42 starts.
He finished his career as a two-time All-Star and 2013 NL Rookie of the Year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.