Written by Greg Fertel
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17 June 2007
- Age: 22
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 175 lbs
- Acquired: Drafted 1st Round Supplemental in 2004 out of Sacramento College
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Throws: Right
Scouting Report: Marquez throws a deadly 92-93 mph sinking fastball. He's recently worked a 4-seam fastball into his repertoire which is a tick faster. His primary secondary pitch is a sinister near plus-plus changeup - the best in the Yankee system after Edwar Ramirez. He's got a curveball which is starting to come along. It had previously been a token third pitch, but the Yankees are making him throw it more this season and it's paying off. Marquez has great control and can really pound the bottom of the strike zone with the 2-seamer and changeup.
History: The Yankees grabbed Marquez as a soon to be 20-year old out of Sacramento in the 1st supplemental round in 2004, sending him to the short season leagues. Marquez pitched well, flashing the great sinker. The next season, Marquez struggled at times in Charleston, which is pretty common for a ground ball pitcher in A ball. Defense generally gets worse when you go down lower in the minor leagues, and Marquez relies upon his defense. The Yankees recognized this and promoted him to Tampa in 2006, where he struggled this time with injuries, limiting him to under 100 innings. The injuries were minor - muscle strains and the like. His control improved over 2005, and he started to strike out more batters while posting a 2.00 GO/AO ratio. The signs were great, and Marquez headed to Trenton.
This Season: The line is 78 1/3 innings, 2.64 ERA, 19 BB (2.05 per 9), 48 K (6.00 per 9), and a light - for Marquez - 1.39 GO/AO ratio. What's happening? Well, there are three storylines here. First off, Marquez's control is getting even better. He's had a problem of "trusting his stuff" in the low minor leagues before - because batters hit .315 and .350 on balls in play in the A ball leagues off him. Second, Marquez is using the changeup less in an effort to ready his curveball. A pitch as good as Marquez's changeup can be a crutch against this level of hitters. Finally, he's throwing more 4-seam fastballs, in an effort to round out his style. Marquez is keeping his pitch count down and getting deep into games.
Outlook and Movement: Mostly due to the crowded Scranton rotation, Marquez will stay in Trenton for the rest of the season. He'll start the season at AAA in 2008 and will be in line for a major league promotion if he's pitching well, along with half a dozen other guys. He possesses all the skills of a very good major league starter, and he's finally looking healthy. He's one of those guys who are potential trade bait in a deadline deal, but I think that the Yankees will hold on to him.
Ranking: Why did I rank Marquez ahead of Horne? Well, there are two reasons. First off, on a very basic level I like Marquez's track record. I'm a track record guy and he has a longer, more successful one. The 2007 season is still in "small sample size" territory, so I'm being cautious with Horne. Second, I really, really like Marquez's repertoire. I stated when I first started writing here that I like changeups, and Marquez has a monster one. Now, the K/9 numbers are down because he's not throwing the changeup as much with 2 strikes, but his K/9 is 8.00 with runners in scoring position - so he can still get guys out when the pressure is on and he's not just toying with hitters. I like the trend in his control - improving as he reaches higher levels. He's becoming more well rounded this season, instead of just a strong sinkerballer with a good changeup.
Next up: Francisco Cervelli
