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Sanchez honored Jose Fernandez with 'JDF16' on cap in Game 3

MLB.com

Many players around baseball have paid homage to the late Jose Fernandez, and those tributes have carried into the postseason.

In Game 3 of the American League Division Series, Toronto Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez donned "JDF16" on his hat to commemorate Fernandez, who lost his life in a Sept. 25th boating accident in Miami. He was only 24 years old.

Sanchez, who turned 24 in July, said losing a player of that caliber at such a young age has been difficult for him to process.

"This kid is my age and has the world by his hand," Sanchez told Joe Frisaro of MLB.com after the Blue Jays clinched the series Sunday. "He was one of the best pitchers - if not the best pitcher in the game - and to see something so unheard of happen was really hard for me.

"I got the opportunity to meet him at the All-Star Game, and I had the chance to text him a little bit after the fact. It's obviously a situation you don't ever want to have to deal with it. For me, I felt like this tribute was something I needed to do, and it definitely was the right thing to do."

San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan and Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman are among the other players to have honored Fernandez by sporting "JDF16" on their caps and jerseys during the postseason.

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