Félix Hernández’s name is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, bringing with it one of the more polarizing Cooperstown cases in recent history.

Hernández, who spent his 15-year career with the Mariners from 2005-19, is widely regarded as one of the best pitchers of his era. Making his MLB debut as a teenager, he soon became a Seattle legend who earned the nickname “King Félix” for his dominance on the diamond. But thanks to injuries, Hernández’s best years were behind him by his age-30 season. His career was over not long after that.

Thus, the debate about Hernández comes down to a familiar dichotomy: peak production versus longevity. First-ballot Hall of Famers typically have both; Hernández possesses the former but not the latter.

But Hernández has a better argument for Cooperstown than it might appear at first blush. Here’s why he deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He had an incredible peak

Any Hall of Fame argument in favor of players like Hernández starts with their “peak” -- at their best, just how good were they? In King Félix’s case, his peak was higher than Mount Rainier, to use a local example.

It might be hard to locate the peak seasons for some players, but it’s fairly easy for Hernández: 2009 to 2015. That’s a seven-year stretch in which he was named an American League All-Star six times. The one year he wasn’t? 2010, when he won the AL Cy Young Award. Across MLB, his 37.9 pitching WAR from 2009-15 trailed only Clayton Kershaw (46.6).

Hernández’s averages per season, 2009-15
ERA: 2.83
WHIP: 1.10
bWAR: 5.4
IP: 228
K: 221

According to Baseball-Reference, Hernández’s WAR7, or “seven-year peak WAR” -- the sum of his wins above replacement totals from his best seven seasons (2008-10, 2012-15) -- is 38.5. While it’s below the average mark for a Hall of Fame starter (49.9), it’s better than the WAR7 of plenty of Cooperstown inductees: Jim Kaat (38.1), Herb Pennock (37.0), Catfish Hunter (34.9), Whitey Ford (34.6) and Jack Morris (32.6), to name a few.

Essentially, Hernández at his best was superior to plenty of Hall of Fame starters at their best, and that’s something not many pitchers can say.

He had a season for the ages

Just how good could Hernández be? For those who might have missed it or don’t remember just how remarkable it was, let’s take a look at his brilliant 2010 season -- one of the best years by a starter in the modern game and a major point in favor of his Hall of Fame candidacy.

King Félix was the king of pitching deep into ballgames, going eight or more innings SIXTEEN times out of his 34 starts in 2010. He went nine innings three straight times to close out June, tossing a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium on June 30 to wrap up the month.

And his second half was even better.

Missing out on the All-Star team despite a 2.88 ERA at the break, Hernández put together a dominant close to his career-best season. In his 15 second-half starts, he had a 1.53 ERA with 101 strikeouts. (Hernández even went back to the Bronx on Aug. 20 and baffled the Yanks again, recording 11 more K’s in eight scoreless innings.)

With an MLB-best 2.27 ERA and 232 strikeouts, Hernández beat out David Price of the Rays for AL Cy Young honors. The righty faced 1,001 batters in 2010, a mark topped by only one pitcher since (Price, in 2014). Not bad for a hurler who turned 24 on April 8, three days after his first start of the season.

Only Justin Verlander, who threw 251 innings in 2011, has since surpassed Hernández’s total of 249 2/3 innings pitched that season (Roy Halladay led the National League and the Majors in 2010 with 250 2/3 IP). King Félix finished the year with six complete games under his belt, a full four more than any starter in 2024.

Particularly in an era when relief pitchers are covering more and more innings and starters fewer and fewer, Hernández’s special 2010 season should be celebrated. For at least a few months, he might have been the best pitcher in the world -- and that should be Hall of Fame worthy.

His career numbers are better than you might think

While much is made about Hernández’s peak years -- and deservedly so -- his career statistics make him worthy of serious Hall of Fame consideration.

Hernández is one of just 64 pitchers with six or more All-Star nods since the Midsummer Classic began in 1933. Nine Hall of Fame hurlers, including Jim Palmer, Hal Newhouser and Lefty Grove, match Hernández’s six selections, as do Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke and fellow 2025 Hall of Fame candidate CC Sabathia. The righty also has his 2010 Cy Young under his belt, as well as two AL ERA titles.

Speaking of Hernández’s ERA, it’s in a pretty good place when it comes to Cooperstown. Despite posting a 5.42 ERA across more than 300 innings in an injury-marred end to his career, Hernández still wound up with a career 3.42 ERA. That’s definitely toward the bottom end of Hall of Famers, but you can still find a dozen Hall of Fame starters with a worse mark.

The same goes for career WAR, in which Hernández’s 49.7 WAR leads the likes of Sandy Koufax (48.9), Bob Lemon (48.2), Dizzy Dean (46.2), Addie Joss (45.3) and many others. (Koufax also had a famously short peak, but “having more WAR than Sandy Koufax” has to count for something.)

It’s fair to say Hernández is less worthy of induction than the average Hall of Fame pitcher, but he’s considerably more accomplished than some of the least accomplished starters to make it to Cooperstown. Even adjusting for era (the benchmark required to make the Hall used to be lower), Hernández’s career production -- in a relatively short time -- should be enough to get him in.

He became a Mariners (and MLB) legend

Obviously, it’s more than statistics: Hall of Famers become legends for more than just their standout numbers. Especially in Seattle, Hernández holds that legendary status -- and it should be part of his case for Cooperstown.

No Mariners fan who witnessed it will forget Aug. 15, 2012, the crowning moment for the man dubbed “King Félix” by an adoring fan base. Fans at then-Safeco Field rose as one to watch Hernández dominate the Rays in the 23rd perfect game in MLB history and the first by a Mariners pitcher.

It was the signature achievement in the career of a pitcher who signed with Seattle as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela and never appeared for another team in the regular season. While Hernández spent time with the Braves and Orioles organizations toward the tail end of his career, he’ll always be remembered as a Mariner. Very few players spend their entire Major League careers with one team, and Hernández’s loyalty to the franchise (even amid a historic postseason drought) is admirable.

Unfortunately, the lack of team success will cost Hernández. With Seattle never reaching the postseason during his career, Hernández will always lack the playoff résumé of a pitcher like fellow Cooperstown candidate Andy Pettitte -- something that can make a difference to Hall of Fame voters.

That can hardly be held against Hernández, of course, and it shouldn’t be. Mariners fans certainly don’t blame him -- they just remember the good parts, before injuries took away much of Hernández’s 30s and nearly all of his effectiveness. They recall his debut at just 19 years old, the youngest starter to pitch in the Majors since 1984. His 10 straight Opening Day starts (and his sparkling performance in those games). His immaculate inning and his grand slam, just six days apart in 2008.

And it wasn’t just Seattle. During his prime, Hernández was an MLB icon: one of the best pitchers of his generation who delivered no shortage of incredible moments. As well as his elite peak and his strong overall production, his loyalty to the Mariners and his importance to the franchise and to the sport should factor into his candidacy.