Jose Fernandez

Though a torn-elbow ligament and the subsequent Tommy John surgery that will sideline the pitcher through the first several months of the 2015 season will be the story of Fernandez's sophomore year, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his progress as a perennial Cy Young contender and elite-level starter for years to come. Fernandez, who will turn 23 in July, was great as a rookie, but he was simply unhittable in the 51.2 innings he tossed in 2014 prior to the injury. He improved in every significant way during the early months of his second season, increasing his groundball rate from 45.1% to 48.8%, slashing his walk rate from 8.5% to 6.3% and increasing his strikeout rate from 27.5% to 34.2%. All told, Fernandez posted a 2.44 ERA and won four of eight starts during his abbreviated sophomore effort, but a 2.18 xFIP indicated that he was an even more dominant pitcher than during the previous season. Owners will have to play it patiently as the team ramps up their ace's rehab early in the season, but if Fernandez can avoid setbacks, he should be able to once again provide elite numbers following the All-Star break.

A surprise addition to the Opening Day roster, Fernandez had no problems adjusting to life in the big leagues, dominating his way to the NL Rookie of the Year award and a third-place finish in the NL Cy Young voting. Fernandez leaned on a mid-90s heater and a knee-bending curveball to hold opposing hitters to a .182 batting average against during his rookie season on his way to a phenomenal 2.19 ERA and microscopic 0.98 WHIP. Fernandez registered 12 starts (in 28 turns) with eight or more strikeouts and put together an impressive pair of wins in late July and early August in which he struck out 27 batters in 16 innings. His true Cy Young chances were, perhaps, dashed by a team-imposed innings cap that shut him down after 172.2 frames -- and that prospect will loom largely down the stretch again in his sophomore season as he's just 21 years old. Still, owners can expect Fernandez to inch his way toward 200 innings in 2014 with elite numbers across the board.

Fernandez turned in a dynamic age-19 season in 25 starts between Low-A Greensboro and High-A Jupiter, twirling his way to a 1.75 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 134 innings. The 2011 first-rounder is emerging as the Marlins' top minor league arm showing great command with plus strikeout ability throughout 2012. Fernandez works with a fastball in the 94-97 mph range, a solid changeup, and a put-away slider, which helped him to a 158:35 K:BB last season. The Cuban right-hander figures to start the year in Double-A for some additional seasoning in the minors, but if he continues to dominate, we just might see Fernandez toeing the rubber in Miami sooner rather than later.

The Marlins nabbed Fernandez with the 14th overall pick in 2011, and while there are a couple of question marks around the youngster, Miami may have landed themselves a future ace. When he's on his game he's got the loose mechanics to generate fastballs in the 94-97 mph range, and he's flashed a nasty slider and the makings of a plus changeup to boot. He's got a big frame that should allow him to last deep into games, although he may have trouble with his weight, and there are rumblings that the Cuban defector may be a year or more older than his listed age. If the off-speed pitch never develops he'd still have a classic power relief profile, but there's room for optimism that he'll eventually be something more.