Mariners History: Ranking Hall of Fame hopeful Félix Hernández's 5 best performances

As with any Hall of Fame hopeful, it's the totality of Félix Hernández's career that will or won't get him into Cooperstown. And with more and more votes for the longtime Seattle Mariners ace coming in, it's looking like he'll come closer to induction this year than he did in his debut on the ballot in 2025.

Like any rich tapestry, though, it's the beautiful details that really hold your attention when you move in for a closer look. So, follow us as we look back at the five best performances that "King Félix" ever had as a Mariner.

Ranking Félix Hernández's 5 best Mariners performances

5. June 23, 2008: Grand Slam off Johan Santana

Bam, here's a plot twist right off the bat. And we obviously mean that literally, as the coming June will mark 18 years since Hernández took Johan Santana deep for a grand slam at Shea Stadium.

Though this was back when American League pitchers had to hit for themselves in National League parks, it's not as if Hernández got many chances to practice his swing. This was his only at-bat of the 2008 season, and just the ninth at-bat of his career.

This was the first grand slam by an AL pitcher since interleague play had begun 11 years earlier, and it more than salvaged a day in which Hernández only lasted 4.2 innings. His slam was the difference in a 5-2 Mariners win.

4. June 8, 2014: A Career High for Strikeouts

Among AL pitchers, only Justin Verlander and David Price racked up more 10-strikeout games than Hernández between 2005 and 2016. And on this day, he blew away his previous career high of 13 with 15 punchouts against the Rays in Tampa Bay.

Hernández didn't pick up a win for his efforts, but the Mariners made sure his performance counted when they pushed five runs across in the ninth to break a scoreless tie. And for the manager in the opposing dugout, it was the best Joe Maddon had ever seen Hernández pitch.

Hold onto that last bit, because it's going to be relevant later.

3. April 2, 2007: The Best of Many Opening Day Bangers

Throughout his 15-year career with the Mariners, Hernández and Opening Day went together like chocolate and peanut butter. He started 11 times on Opening Day and racked up 78 strikeouts, the fourth-most all-time after three inner-circle Hall of Famers: Randy Johnson, Tom Seaver and Walter Johnson.

There unfortunately aren't any highlights on YouTube, but Hernández's Opening Day pinnacle was certainly in 2007. He fanned what was then a career-high 12 batters, otherwise allowing only three hits and two walks over eight scoreless innings.

Not bad for a guy who was only 20 years old at the time, but it somehow got even better his next time out.

2. April 11, 2007: Stealing the Show in Boston

This game was meant to be Daisuke Matsuzaka's coming-out party in Boston. Following an extraordinary offseason pursuit on the part of the Red Sox, it was to be his first home start at Fenway Park. And in the end, he did pitch well.

Just… not as well as Hernández, who permitted the Red Sox only one hit in a complete game shutout to pace a 3-0 Mariners win. It was his first one-hitter, and one of only two starts in which he would allow one or fewer hits while going the distance.

Hernández only struck out six batters, but he also recorded only three of his 27 outs on balls to the outfield. He mostly limited Red Sox hitters to little dribblers on the infield, and this even though he was facing off against an offense that would go on to win the World Series.

“Even in hitter’s counts, he threw some balls that looked like they were disappearing,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said at the time.

1. August 15, 2012: The Perfect Game

Remember that part about Maddon thinking Hernández had never been better than in that 15-strikeout game against his team in 2014?

Welcome to the payoff, as it was also against Maddon's Rays that Hernández threw the 23rd perfect game in MLB history two years earlier. He struck out 12 and allowed only five balls out of the infield.

Hernández's perfect game literally became memetic, as there was a brief moment when everyone was "Felixing" in honor of his pose after he recorded the final out. It was the 2010s, OK? Things were simpler then.

As of now, only seven pitchers have thrown a perfect game and gone on to get elected to the Hall of Fame. Whether it's in 2026 or in the future, King Félix will hopefully make it eight.