Felix Hernandez just told Braves fans exactly when he’s going to retire

King Felix is hoping to catch on with the NL East champs and prolong his career — but he already knows precisely what it will take to convince him to retire.

Felix Hernandez might just find himself in the Hall of Fame one day. As the owner of a Cy Young Award, a perfect game, and six All-Star nods, Cooperstown cases have been built on less. Now a member of the Atlanta Braves organization after a disappointing exit from Seattle, the 34-year-old has a compelling chance to author his final act with a contending team.

But don’t assume he isn’t already pondering his retirement. In fact, knows exactly when it will be time to call it a career.

That’s awfully precise. We ought to expect nothing less from a man who once threw an immaculate inning.

At 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts, it will take no fewer than two full 162-game regular seasons for King Felix to reach these appointed heights. Given the effective certainty that the 2020 season consists of somewhere between 78 and 82 games, however, the man had better plan on sticking it ought through the 2022 campaign, at which point he’ll be 36 years old.

If he can find himself a home in the Atlanta starting rotation as the elder statesman supporting young guns like Mike Soroka and Mike Foltynewicz, he might just have his chance.

Get out a pencil and keep a live, running count, Braves fans. Once Hernandez joins the 200/3,000 club, he’s walking away. Do your best to show him a good time up until then, eh?