The baseball world mourned the loss of one of its brightest stars Sunday.
Jose Fernandez, the ace of the Miami Marlins pitching staff and one of the league’s most dominating players, died tragically in a boating accident early Sunday morning.
WATCH: Boat Jose Fernandez was riding in pulled from Florida jetty
The news sent shockwaves across the MLB with players and personnel remembering a generational talent and man with a quick smile.
“I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare,” Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton posted on Instagram.
“I lost my brother today and can’t quite comprehend it. The shock is overwhelming.”
The Marlins scheduled game against the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon was cancelled after the news broke. The team held a press conference Sunday where players and management shared their memories of the 24-year-old and expressed their grief over his passing.
“His love of the game, his passion of the game, his respect of the game… his love of this organization and his teammates and his family above all… you just think about all of those things,” David Samson, the president of the Miami Marlins said.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly choked back tears as he spoke about how he will remember Fernandez’s infectious attitude and his love of baseball.
“When I think about Jose, it’s going to be thinking about a little kid. I see such a little boy in him… the way he played. Kids play Little League, that’s the joy Jose played with.”
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That combination of talent and joy is what other managers also shared after hearing the tragic news.
“It’s so horribly sad on so many different levels that there’ll be no more of that, no more of him, there’ll be no more of that emotion on the mound, that skill set, that human being, that young man with such a gift, such a great smile,” said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle.
Mets manager Terry Collins remembered the first time he saw Fernandez pitch.
“When the first pitch left his hand, the first thought is, ‘Oh, wow, this is something special.’ … This was not only one of the greatest pitchers in the modern game, but one of the finest young men you’d ever meet, who played the game with passion and fun and enjoyed being out there.”
WATCH: Miami Marlins fans remember Jose Fernandez
Current and former players also remembered the two-time All-Star as a tough opponent and good friend.
“One of those competitors you loved competing against because you know he was going to bring his best,” Yankees catcher Brian McCann said. “He was one of the best pitchers in the game. What he did in a short amount of time was incredible.”
Other players took to Twitter to honour Fernandez.
Retiring Red Sox star David Ortiz asked the Tampa Bay Rays to cancel a pregame tribute they planned in his honour before his final game at their park Sunday. He said the shock of the news was too much.
“I don’t have the words to describe the pain I feel,” Ortiz said.
Fernandez certainly made an impact on the game in his short career. The righty owns the highest strikeout percentage in MLB history and is the only player with an ERA under 1.50 on home field since ERA became an official stat in 1913.
It’s the possibility of what the right-hander could have accomplished that has made his death so hard on those in the game.
“I saw a better talent than I was lose his life this tragic morning,” said Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez.
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