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Chicago Cubs: Brailyn Marquez showing he can turn into a future ‘ace’
Following an insane July for the Class-A South Bend Cubs, the clubs number four prospect is on his way to Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach for a much-deserved promotion.
Brailyn Marquez is only 20 years old, although with how he has been performing over the past month you would never be able to tell. Pitching last season between Short Season Eugene and Class-A South Bend, Marquez finish with a 3.13 ERA.
His 2019 campaign overall has been solid. Marquez is carrying a 3.65 ERA over his first 17 starts and has seen his overall game become stronger since last year. He is striking out opposing hitters at a 30.7% clip, and while his walks are up, Marquez has done an excellent job in limiting home runs.
Now, Marquez is one step closer to fulfilling his major league dream. The month of July was perfect for the young left-hander. Pitching like someone playing MLB The Show on rookie mode, Marquez completed his month with a 1.65 ERA across five starts and will hope to continue his dominance at the next level.
Chicago Cubs: A start to remember
Two weeks ago, the Cubs were slated to face off against the Lake County Captains. It was the 16th start of the season for Marquez, who was coming off a start in which he allowed only a single earned run over five innings.
It was the best start Marquez had produced for South Bend in a little over three weeks. By the end of the night, however, Marquez would have posted the best game of his young career as well as probably the best start across Minor League Baseball this season.
In a dominating performance, Marquez finished his night by throwing six scoreless innings without allowing a walk and a ridiculous 14 strikeouts. Yes, you read that correctly.
His night began with Marquez striking out the first six batters he faced. Marquez’ ability to find the zone that night was highlighted through his record-setting number of strikeouts. He did exactly what the Cubs expected him to do when they signed him back in 2015.
Chicago Cubs: Keeping it rolling
Five days after his unbelievable performance, and what would ultimately be a start that helped lead to his promotion, Marquez finished another six-inning outing. He did not allow a single run, walking only one batter and striking out eight. Over the 12 inning span, Marquez walked one batter and recorded 22 strikeouts.
His three final starts yielded a 0.53 ERA with four walks and 29 strikeouts. Marquez allowed a .091 slugging percentage while opposing batters hit just .150 against him. Most impressively, 71% of Marquez’ pitches went for strikes. 27% of those strikes were swings and misses, and his ground ball rate sat at 56%.
The incredibly strong fastball Marquez possesses is showing its wings. He sits in the mid 90’s consistently with an ability to reach 98 mph. Outside of his fastball, Marquez has an above-average breaking ball and changeup. Continuing to develop his repertoire is going to be critical for Marquez at the next level, and we all hope it ends up being the case.
Chicago Cubs: Future ‘ace’ in the wings
Marquez is showing an ability to become a dominant force on the mound. Time will tell as he joins the Pelicans, however in taking it one game at a time, Marquez will hopefully be able to continue his consistency. And prove to the Cubs that they made the right decision with his international free-agency experience. In his first game last night in his new digs, Marquez continued his domination. He finished five shutout innings without allowing a hit, walking three and striking out four. It was a perfect beginning to a new chapter.
Next. The Cubs should have some financial clarity this winter. dark
As we do not exactly know when Marquez will get his first taste of the big leagues, there is an air of excitement that it could be sooner rather than later. Theo Epstein and brass has done an excellent job in developing his talents.
Marquez has a ton of time for growth, and fans pray the organization continues to monitor his progression realistically and safely. Marquez is probably the best starting pitcher the Cubs have in their organization. If he can continue to do at Myrtle Beach what he has done in the past month? That flame of excitement for fans will continue to burn, and Marquez will be the one to set the fire.