In 2013, Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez accomplished what every aspiring baseball player hopes to do -- make it to the major leagues. Although, becoming a professional baseball player wasn't his only goal since defecting from his native Cuba in 2008.
Fernandez realized another one of his "dreams" Friday when he became a citizen of the United States.
"This is a dream that I've had since I was little, and actually achieving it is really amazing," Fernandez said, per the Associated Press. "Having my family here and so much support from this amazing country, it's really fantastic."
The 22-year-old Fernandez was also the keynote speaker during a ceremony in Miami on Friday, which recognized another 140 South Florida residents becoming US citizens.
"This is one of my important accomplishments," he said. "I'm an American citizen now -- I'm one of them. I consider myself now to be free.
"Today is not really about I can throw 100 miles or I could be really good. Today is really important because all of us are the same today. We just became citizens."
Fernandez was a first-round pick of the Marlins in 2011 (14th overall). He made his MLB debut two years later and took home NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2013. He has yet to pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, but he is on track to make his return to the majors this summer.
