Top 25 MLB stories of 2017, from Aaron Judge to Houston Strong

22. RIP, Ace

For the second time in a few months, MLB fans woke up to the tragic news of a young pitcher’s untimely death. Jose Fernandez passed away in a boating accident on September 25, 2016, sending the league into mourning over one of its biggest personalities being snatched away in the prime of his life. On January 22, Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura was killed in a one-car accident in the Dominican Republic. He had been traveling home on a windy road through the mountains after attending a festival.

Ventura was a mercurial presence in the Royals rotation during his brief four-year career in the big leagues. Always able to dial it up in a big spot, Ventura played a big role in the team’s run to the World Series in 2014 and victory in 2015. Confidence bordering on cockiness oozed out of every cell of Ventura’s body, and he could dial up a 102-mph fastball from his slim, 195-pound frame.

"In his three short years in Major League Baseball, Ventura squeezed in an entire career’s worth of moments and memories. There were, of course, detractors, who bristled at his emotional outbursts on the mound, but his actions were fueled by a passion for the game and a competitive that coursed through every cell in his body. Ventura didn’t so much pitch but played a game of “here it comes, see if you can hit it” in every single at-bat."

The brilliance came in spurts for Ventura, along with spurts of immaturity. His best season came in 2014 when he went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 183 innings and dazzled in the playoffs. Ventura had only just begun scratching the surface of his potential as a pitcher when he died.