On Sunday, just hours before Julian Fernández made his MLB debut, his fellow Dominican countryman Carlos Estévez served as his interpreter to the media.
Estévez was all laughs and all smiles, having a blast in front of the home dugout alongside the 25-year-old fireballer. Fernández is in good hands.
The two of them grew up about 20 miles apart. Estévez, 28, remembers the moment Fernández signed with the Rockies and reflected on the progression to where they are today. “I saw him skinny and small. And then I [look] back and he’s throwing 97.”
Their story has come full circle, as Estévez finds himself covering the Rockies closer duties and Fernández finds himself throwing some of MLB’s fastest pitches.