Name: Alex Fernandez

Rank: 21

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1990-1996

Selected 4th overall by the White Sox in the 1990 draft, Alex Fernandez started 8 games in the minor leagues before making his major league debut on August 2, getting a no decision despite throwing 7 strong innings against the Brewers at County Stadium.  Over the last 2 months of the season, he made a total of 13 starts for the White Sox, going 5-5 with a 3.80 ERA.

Fernandez struggled in 1991, setting career highs in walks, WHIP, and ERA.  He finished the year 9-13 with a 4.51 ERA.  1992 saw a slight improvement, thanks to a drastic reduction in walks.  While he still had a losing record, at 8-11, his ERA fell to 4.27.

1993 was Fernandez’s breakout season.  He went 18-9 with a 3.13 ERA as the White Sox took home their first division championship in a decade.  He set a career high with over 247 innings and a career low WHIP of 1.164.  Despite giving up only 3 earned runs in 15 innings, he lost 2 games in the ALCS against the Blue Jays.  His season was good enough to earn 4 MVP votes from the BBWAA.

Fernandez was having another strong year in 1994.  He was 11-7 with a 3.86 ERA in 24 starts when the season came to a premature end thanks to the strike.  When baseball resumed in 1995, he picked up where he had left off, going 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA.

1996 was another strong year for Fernandez, his best since 1993.  He went 16-10 with a 3.45 ERA in a career high 35 starts.  He finished 6th in Cy Young Award voting.  Following the season, he became a free agent.

Fernandez’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: