Watch Felix Hernandez Get Emotional Ovation After Likely Final Mariners Start

An emotional Felix Hernandez received a thunderous standing ovation from the T-Mobile Park crowd as the Seattle Mariners right-hander made what appears to be his final start in an M's uniform after 15 seasons with the franchise in the majors.  

M's fans on the left side of the stands wore yellow shirts honoring King Felix and lifted yellow "K" signs as a grateful Hernandez bowed, tipped his cap and raised his hands to show thanks after he was taken out in the sixth inning of his team's 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Hernandez went 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out three.

Known as King Felix, Hernandez signed a seven-year, $175 million contract that expires at the end of this season. That deal contains a 2020 team option, but the M's are not expected to exercise it.

Hernandez was one of the game's best pitchers from 2009-15, making six All-Star games, finishing among the top eight in the American League Cy Young voting six times and winning the award in 2010. Oddly enough, he did not make the All-Star game that season.

King Felix also led the American League in ERA in 2010 and 2014, wins in 2009 and shutouts in 2012 and 2015. He averaged 226 strikeouts per season from 2009-14 and tossed the most recent perfect game in league history in 2012 when he struck out 12 Tampa Bay Rays during a 1-0 victory.

The tail end of Hernandez's 15-year MLB tenure has been beset by numerous injuries, including calf, shoulder, biceps, forearm and shoulder ailments. He was just 1-7 with a 6.51 ERA in 14 starts entering Thursday.

However, Hernandez's season and Thursday's outing pale in comparison to the sheer dominance he displayed for Seattle during the bulk of his career, as the Associated Press' Tim Booth noted:

Hernandez also received some congratulatory messages from a few notable names, including ex-NBA superstar Dwyane Wade:

The M's signed the Venezuelan as a 16-year-old in 2002. He spent a few years in the minors before making his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 2005.

Hernandez offered a sign of what was to come in his first home start, twirling eight shutout innings and striking out six in a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.