Player: Brailyn Marquez
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Height: 6’4 Weight: 185 Age: 21 Bats/Throws: L/L Current Level: A+ Myrtle Beach
MLB.com Rank: 2nd in Cubs System
Signed: August 23, 2015 by Cubs
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Marquez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 with a signing bonus of $600,000 as just a 16-year old. He was already throwing in the low 90s and it looked like that would continue to climb as he continued to develop. Marquez has developed into the hardest throwing lefty starter in the minors. He was consistently 96-98 last season and broke triple digits on multiple occasions.
Marquez had a great 2019 season between Single-A South Bend and High-A Myrtle Beach. Finishing the season in Myrtle Beach, Marquez went 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA in five starts. Back on July 25, 2019 Marquez struck out 14 batters in just six innings while allowing only one hit! During that outing, he struck out the first six batters he saw and then also ended his day by striking out the last eight he faced.
Scouting Grades
When you see a prospect with a grade of 70-80 in any category, that should draw your attention right away. Marquez’s fastball sat 96-98 mph last season and topped out over 100-mph repeatedly. His fastball allowed him to bully hitters at Single-A South Bend despite below-average control.
His slider is his best secondary and should become an above-average pitch. Marquez has been dominant against lefties, but the changeup needs to improve for him to be more effective against righties. He also has a cutter, but scouts aren’t even sure if that pitch is on purpose or something that just happens sometimes.
At only age 21, Marquez still has plenty of time for development, but he’s already hitting 100 mph and making hitters look helpless. He needs to development his secondary pitches and command if he’s to feature a role in the Cubs starting rotation. Others think he’s better suited for a prominent high-leverage role in the bullpen. One thing is for sure, I’m excited to watch this guy keep improving!
Brailyn Marquez Stats
