re: Miami Marlins Pitcher Jose Fernadez has died in a boating accident

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182 innings is not enough? Arrieta has 192, Kendricks 179, Lester 200 for comparison

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Ultimately, though, the case for Fernandez comes down to innings pitched. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the group that votes on end-of-season awards, values number of games played highly. In fact, it’s the second thing voters are told to weigh when voting on the MVP award.

That’s where Fernandez’s candidacy falls short. Fernandez’s 182 1/3 innings pale in comparison to Madison Bumgarner’s 219 1/3 innings pitched, which leads the NL. Given that Bumgarner, Max Scherzer and Johnny Cueto, to name a few, have similar cases from a statistical standpoint but have thrown more innings, Fernandez will likely be a runner-up for the award.

While Fernandez winning the award would make for a great story — and some voters may be tempted to elevate Fernandez due to his tragic death — voters aren’t supposed to cast their ballots based on narrative. Yes, “general character, disposition, loyalty and effort” are considered in the voting process. And you could easily make the case Fernandez excelled in each of those areas. But on-field performance is weighed more highly in the voting.

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