Why Felix Hernandez Should Start on Sunday

It's been a nightmarish season for the Seattle Mariners and their fanbase.  Picked by some to win the AL West, the team imploded as the season progressed and will likely finish with one of the two worst records in all of MLB.  With just four games left in the season, all the fanbase can hope for is the highest pick possible in next June's draft.

However, there has been one consistent bright spot for Seattle this season:  Felix Hernandez, whose amazing pitching prowess in the face of a lost season for the club has triggered a philosophical discussion on the value of several traditional statistics.  Thanks to poor run support, King Felix's record stands at just 13-12; however, his overwhelming numbers in nearly every other category has made him the clear favorite for the Cy Young Award.  Virtually every website that has polled the public has found overwhelming support for Felix's candidacy, and even some of the most staunch traditionalist voters have opened their eyes to the greatness of The King.

With all of that said, should he make one more start on the final day of the season?

There is a strong case for not letting him do so:  he has already pitched more innings, faced more batters, and thrown more pitches than he has ever thrown in a single season (and in fact leads MLB in all three categories).  Saving his arm for the future isn't an unreasonable proposition.  It's not like Seattle needs him to pitch in order to accomplish whatever team goals they have remaining this season.  And the nation is already aware of his Cy Young case and seems ready to hand him the Cy Young award as soon as the season is over.  It is unlikely that one more game will change anyone's mind about Felix's season.

And yet, pitching on the final day of the season might be exactly what Felix needs to lock up the award with some certainty.  Writers and voters love a good angle for a story, and Felix taking the hill on the final day of the season would cause an avalanche of stories in which everybody gushes about him being a warrior and someone who truly loves playing the game.  The comparisons to Ted Williams, who in 1941 famously played both games of a season-ending doubleheader rather than sit and protect his .400 batting average, would be inevitable and a positive development for his Cy Young campaign.

More so, he would be pitching in the final game of the season for a Seattle team that owes its fans one last good note after a nightmare of a season.  Sending Felix to the hill might even trigger a sellout at Safeco Field, as well as national television time (depending on how the NL West shakes out) for The King to work his magic.

Finally, there's one very important reason to let him pitch:  it's his regular turn in the rotation, and he wants to do it.  There's nothing wrong with doing something to keep a star player happy, particularly when it doesn't involve stepping on the toes of other players on the team.

So I say let him pitch the season finale, with a few safety precautions put in place (say, a 100-pitch limit).  Seattle has invested considerable time and resources into developing Felix into a workhorse; they may as well let him do his thing.