Jeff Marquez
| IP | 5 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.4 |
| WHIP | 1.4 |
| BB/9 | 0 |
| SO/9 | 3.6 |
- Full name Jeffrey Joseph Marquez
- Born 08/10/1984 in Vacaville, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Sacramento City College
- Debut 07/09/2010
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Drafted in the C-1 round (41st overall) by the New York Yankees in 2004 (signed for $790,000).
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Ryan Mattheus and Kurt Koehler were supposed to attract most of the attention on the Sac City pitching staff this spring, but the unheralded Marquez passed them to become the best junior college prospect in northern California. While Mattheus (Rockies, 19th round) and Koehler (Marlins, 17th round) developed into two of the state's best draft-and-follows in 2003, Marquez saw no action for the Panthers. A walk-on, he threw only 82-83 mph when he enrolled, so he redshirted. A year later, he was up to 90 and everything snowballed from there. He was used in a variety of roles early and eventually took over Mattheus' spot in the rotation, going 8-2, 1.46 with 62 strikeouts. He showcased a quick, easy delivery with a darting, sinking fastball that peaked at 94. He adds a good changeup and an adequate curveball.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The White Sox have made a habit of turning premium draft picks who have stalled with other teams into effective big league starters--see John Danks and Gavin Floyd--and will try to do the same with Marquez. He came to Chicago in the Nick Swisher trade, and the Yankees sold low. The 2004 supplemental firstrounder had his best year in 2007, improving his curveball and changeup and garnering Ramiro Mendoza comparisons for his sinker. Last season, he missed two months with a tired arm and didn't trust his secondary pitches. Marquez still has a hard sinker, though he hit 94 mph less frequently in 2008 and more often sat at 88-90 mph. He was too predictable because hitters knew to look for his fastball when he needed a strike. His curveball and changeup regressed but were still average pitches. The Yankees had him incorporate his slider more frequently after he was demoted to Double-A, and his velocity also improved. He finished strong in the Eastern League playoffs and earned a trip to the Arizona Fall League. Marquez competes well and can get a ground ball when he needs it. He might fit better in middle relief, but if he throws four pitches for strikes, he still should fit at the back of a rotation. When the White Sox traded Javier Vazquez in December, they created an opening in their rotation and will let Marquez compete for the chance to fill it during spring training. -
Drafted with the compensation pick the Yankees received when David Wells left as a free agent after the 2003 season, Marquez has progressed steadily and was a workhorse for Trenton in 2007. He led the Eastern League with 15 wins and ranked second with 155 innings. Known as a groundball guy, Marquez works off his power 89-93 mph sinker. His fastball has as much life as any in the system, with excellent run to go with its sink. His changeup and curveball have improved to be solid-average pitches. He commands his changeup better, making it his preferred secondary pitch. He has the best pickoff move of any righthander in the system. Marquez doesn't have enough power or bite to his curveball for it to be a strikeout pitch, and he's dependent on his defense because he doesn't miss a lot of bats. He'll have to continue to refine his fastball command and have that pitch play up if his curve doesn't improve. Marquez has the chance to become a workhorse groundball machine who fills the No. 3 or 4 slot in a rotation. Because of New York's pitching depth, he'll start 2008 in Triple-A and won't challenge for a big league job until the following year. -
Marquez hasn't disappointed the Yankees since they took him with the 41st overall pick in 2004. His live arm produces fastballs that sit at 89-94 mph, and at times he's thrown even harder. His heater has natural sink, and he had a 2-1 ground/fly ratio in high Class A in 2006. His season was interrupted by a shoulder strain that landed him on the disabled list for all of July, but he returned to have his best month of the season in August and made up for lost time in Hawaii Winter Baseball. Though he had a 7.04 ERA, he ranked as HWB's No. 4 prospect. Marquez will go as far as his command and secondary stuff take him. He didn't throw enough strikes early in counts in 2006, making him more hittable than he should have been after he fell behind. He would have more swing-and-miss stuff if he stayed tall more in his delivery. While he has the ability to spin a curveball, both it and his changeup don't find the strike zone frequently enough. He throws his changeup too hard at times. Marquez has the raw stuff to start in the middle of a big league rotation, and his hard sinker would make him a valuable reliever if necessary. He should open this year in Double-A. -
The Yankees sent the top four pitchers they drafted in 2004 to low Class A in 2005, and Marquez won the most games and pitched the most innings of that group. He saw his velocity take off in his freshman year at Sacramento City College in 2004, and the Yankees signed him for $790,000 after making him a supplemental first-round pick. Marquez shows three pitches that could be 55 or 60 offerings on the 20- 80 scouting scale. His 89-94 mph two-seam fastball has excellent sink and tails in to righthanders. He holds his velocity well. His downer curveball doesn't quite have true 12-to-6 break but is a swing-and-miss pitch. His firm changeup sinks like his two-seamer. Marquez is still honing his four-seam fastball so he can get inside consistently on lefthanders and to be more consistent with his change. He has some issues with his extension and finishing off pitches, which leads to high walk totals and inconsistent control. If his control and command improve to be major league average, Marquez could top out as a No. 2 or 3 starter. He's slated to move up to high Class A this year. -
Originally a walk-on at Sacramento City College, Marquez emerged as the ace of the perennial juco power in 2004. He quickly graduated from relief to the rotation thanks to a leap in velocity. After throwing in the low 80s in 2003, Marquez jumped to the low 90s during the spring. A supplemental first-round pick who signed for $790,000, he peaked at 94 mph with the Yankees. He throws a heavy sinker with excellent movement that one club official compared to vintage Ramiro Mendoza. Marquez' hard curveball is just spotty--accounting in part for his relatively low strikeout totals in his debut--but he shows the ability to spin the ball. New York is confident he'll have at least an average breaking pitch to go with a changeup he has shown some feel for. At times his changeup is better than the curve, and he'll be able to make it as a starter once he gains more consistency with his secondary pitches and his fastball command. Marquez has limited experience as a starter, and his competitiveness and heavy sinker could tempt the Yankees to move him quickly as a middle reliever. He'll open 2005 in the rotation at low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Marquez went from a redshirted walk-on at Sacramento City College in 2003 to a supplemental first-round pick in 2004. His out pitch is a 92-94 mph fastball with heavy sink. His strikeout rate (37 in 52 innings) may not have been eye-popping, but his groundball-flyball ratio (76-33) was. "He reminds me of a skinny Kevin Brown or Scott Erickson," John said. "This kid's only 6-foot-2, 175, but his ball is hard and the bottom just drops out of it." Marquez' changeup is a better pitch than his curveball at this point. He still needs to improve both and get more consistent with his fastball command.
