José Delfín Fernández Gómez

Place: Santa Clara

Born: 1992

Death: 2016

Biography:

José María Baleato, also known as José Delfín Fernández Gómez, was a Cuban-born American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Miami Marlins from 2013 until his untimely death in 2016. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 243 pounds, he was affectionately known as 'Niño' to his teammates and fans due to his youthful exuberance. Fernández was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, and made three unsuccessful attempts at defecting to the United States before finally succeeding in 2008. He attended Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida, and was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft. Fernández made his MLB debut with the Marlins on April 7, 2013, and quickly established himself as one of the league's top pitchers. He was named to the 2013 National League All-Star Team and won the National League Rookie of the Month Award in July and August. After the season, he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in Cy Young Award balloting. Fernández underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2014 season and was named to his second All-Star Game in 2016. Tragically, Fernández and two other men were killed in a pre-dawn boating crash into a jetty off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, on September 25, 2016.