Jose Fernandez's untimely death left an indelible mark on baseball, its fans, and the adorning Latino community he briefly represented.

The 24-year-old Miami Marlins pitcher passed away early Sunday morning after his boat struck a jetty, overturning and killing him along with two other passengers. Speed, not alcohol or drugs, was initially cited.

Fernandez's death came on the same Florida straits that gave him new life. He boarded Cuban refugee boats four times before permanently landing in South Florida eight years ago. He saved his mother from drowning once. Cuban officials jailed him for two month another time. Each failure emboldened Fernandez to chase his American Dream. The possibility of death - floating on 300 miles of choppy waters navigated by unscrupulous smugglers - was worth every risk, just like it's worth the risk for Cubans escaping the Castro regime, Central American fleeing gang violence, or Mexicans looking for safety from drug cartels. "I did a lot of crying that I didn't show people. I asked myself a lot, 'What am I doing here? I don't belong," Fernandez once told the Miami Herald. The 15-year-old immigrant couldn't turn on a computer. Washing his hands seemed unusual. High school classmates laughed when he wrote phone numbers down instead of typing them onto his phone. Some affairs, like his grandmother being denied a visa four times, were too much to bear, so Fernandez would seclude himself in the woods or in his car. He knew little English, but language on a 98 mph fastball and 9-to-5 breaking ball is never lost in translation.

A Cuban Phenom in the Making

Miami selected Fernandez in the 2011 MLB draft and awarded him a $2 million signing bonus. He was among the game's top prospects within two years on the strength of a 14-1 minor league record and 1.75 ERA in 2012. Fernandez was voted National League Rookie of the Year in 2013. Months later he became the youngest pitcher since Dwight Gooden 27 years earlier to be named Opening Day starter. At 23 years old, not even old enough to rent a car, Fernandez was considered a Cy Young candidate.

But it wasn't the prose of Fernandez's stat line that will be remembered. It's the poetry in which he played.

Like when he fist-pumping to the heavens after a Giancarlos Stanton home run. Or the way Fernandez smirked along the base paths after hitting his first career homer. Only Fernandez could get someone like Barry Bonds - one of the sports' more reviled characters - to be adorning.

If people need reminding baseball is a kid's game, Fernandez was it.

Remembering a Local Hero

Dominican Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez believed Fernandez was "a better talent than I was."

"It's not only sad for baseball, but [also] the culture, the family, and the hope that the entire family has," Martinez told the MLB on TBS crew on Sunday. "That's a kid that went through a lot of struggles. Destiny tells you where you are going to end up. It's hard for me to believe that this day is going on."

ESPN analyst and former Marlins hitting coach Eduardo Perez gave a heartfelt retelling of Fernandez' defection to the U.S., adding that Fernandez initially didn't recognize it was him mom who fell overboard.

Marlins third baseman Martin Prado choked back tears during a press conference, saying Fernandez "made an impact on everyone on this team. "I understand we have to play games, but deep in our hearts, there's a lot of pain," Prado said.

Stanton, Fernandez's teammate for the last three years, coped via social media.

"I'm still waiting to wake up from this nightmare," Stanton's Instagram post began. "I lost my brother today and can't quite comprehend it. The shock is overwhelming. What he meant to me, our team, the city of Miami, Cuba & everyone else in the world that his enthusiasm/heart has touched can never be replaced."

Many other MLB players joined Stanton in mourning. Bryce Harper and Mike Trout tweeted their thoughts and prayers. Retiring Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said he didn't have words to describe the pain. Chicago Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman simply said "Descansa en paz buen amigo," or "Rest in peace, my good friend."

Fernandez's seldom-used Instagram account has 43 posts. Scattered between fishing and baseball pics are a handful with the women in his life. The caption to his first post reads "Started in Cuba now my whole Team here!" as he, his mother, and grandmother stand in Times Square.

The second-to-last post, dated Sept. 17, looks to his new family.

"I'm so glad you came into my life. I'm ready for where this journey is gonna take us together," the caption reads. In the monochromatic picture, a bikini-clad woman cradles her belly.