Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez only spent 24 years on the planet -- but Instagram pictures show the young man living every day to the fullest.
Fernandez spent most of the summer catching big game at sea with a group of friends nicknamed "J's crew."
Colorful photos show the pitcher posing with huge fish and living it up with the boys.
In one photo, Fernandez appears next to his brother. He wrote,
Happy birthday to my brother, got your back!!! Yeah I don't expect you to understand.
Fernandez died in a boating accident early Sunday morning.
His baseball team said in a statement,
The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at a very difficult time.
According to ESPN, local authorities received a call about a capsized boat at 3 am ET.
Upon arrival, rescuers found a 30-foot boat that had apparently crashed into rocks off the coast of Miami Beach, where three people were found dead, among them Fernandez.
Authorities continued to look for possible survivors.
The Marlins game against the Braves was canceled after the tragic news out of Miami.
He leaves behind his unborn child and girlfriend Carla Mendoza.
Fernandez successfully defected from Cuba in 2008 at 15 years old. He spent time in a Cuban prison for three failed attempts prior to the 2008 defection.
Fernandez was drafted 11th overall by the Marlins in 2011. In 2013, the right-hander won the Rookie of the Year award, posting a 2.19 ERA in 172.2 innings pitched.
The two-time All-Star's career was marked by a combination of his incredible talent and unmatched enthusiasm for the game of baseball.
While injuries kept Fernandez off the field for most of 2014 and 2015, he returned to the mound in 2016, posting a 2.86 ERA in 182.1 innings pitched.
Fernandez's final start came September 20 against the Nationals. He threw eight innings, winning 1-0.
The Marlins are currently 77-78, sitting in third place in the NL East division, 13.5 games out of first place.
