Hernandez, who was named the American League Cy Young award winner in 2010, has been lights out again this season, boasting a 2.29 ERA through eight starts. His record, meanwhile, sits at 3-2 — a typical win-loss record for him given the Mariners' offensive inefficiency.
It's hard to believe King Felix is just 26 years old. He's been fooling hitters for parts of eight seasons, gaining a reputation as one of the most intimidating hurlers in the game in the process.
But is he the most intimidating?
There's some pitchers who might have something to say about it, including Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg.
Verlander, who earned both Cy Young and MVP honors last season, is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA this season. Last year, the righty went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and carried the Tigers to the postseason. With a fastball that tops out north of 100 mph, you'd be hard-pressed to find a hitter who looks forward to digging in against him.
Kershaw, meanwhile, was last year's NL Cy Young Award winner, going 21-5 with a 2.28 ERA. This season, the talented lefty is 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA in seven starts, once again showing an ability to baffle hitters.
Speaking of southpaws, big CC Sabathia is as fierce as they come. The former AL Cy Young and five-time All-Star has jumped out to a 5-0 start this season after going 19-8 in 2011. That marked the third straight year that he totaled at least 19 wins.
And don't forget Stephen Strasburg. At just 23 years old, the Nationals right-hander is dominating hitters over in the National League. He's 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA through seven starts, which is a continuation of his dominance before getting hurt last season.
So who would you least like to step into the box against?
