Stephen Marek
| IP | 579 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.404 |
| WHIP | 1.268 |
| BB/9 | 3.404 |
| SO/9 | 8.254 |
- Full name Stephen Andrew Marek
- Born 09/03/1983 in Houston, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School San Jacinto College
- Drafted in the 40th round (1,193rd overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2004.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Acquired with Casey Kotchman from the Angels in the Mark Teixeira deal last July, Marek was one of the top draft-and-follows on the market in the spring of 2005. He signed for $800,000 and made solid progress as a starter for three years in the Angels system before moving to the bullpen last April. Inconsistent command and mental focus led to that shift, and Marek still has work to do in both areas. Still, he has the stuff and makeup to be a set-up man in the big leagues. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph with good movement, and his 11-to-5 curveball may be a better pitch. His changeup lags behind his other two offerings but has the making of an average pitch. Marek has tried to refine his mechanics, particularly his release point, which tends to stray too high on occasion and hurts his fastball velocity and command. Added to Atlanta's 40-man roster in November, he'll enter spring training with an outside shot at earning a job in the bullpen. More likely, he'll open the campaign in Triple-A and make his big league debut later in the season. -
The Angels inked Marek in May 2005 for an $800,000 bonus as a draft-and-follow. A reliever at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, he became a starter in pro ball and led the Midwest League with a 1.96 ERA in his first full season. He stayed in extended spring training when camp broke last year, but finished strong with four earned runs allowed in his final four starts in high Class A. Marek comes after hitters with a powerful three-pitch mix. His fastball ranges from 88-94 mph. His 74-77 mph curveball has 11-to-5 shape and grades as a second plus pitch thanks to his knack for locating it. He made improvements to his changeup, which has hard, late sink at times and helped him limit lefthanders to a .183 average in 2007. Marek's mechanics are a work in progress. He doesn't repeat his release point, and when his arm slot gets too high, he loses life on his fastball, especially when he misses up in the zone. He pitches in the middle of the zone too frequently. Angels coaches say his mental focus is also an area they'd like to see improve. Provided he stays healthy, Marek profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He'll spend 2008 in the Double-A Arkansas rotation. -
Signed for $800,000 as a draft-and-follow prior to the 2005 draft, Marek provided a potent complement to Nick Adenhart atop the Cedar Rapids rotation. He led the Midwest League in ERA. Armed with a threepitch arsenal, Marek pounds the zone with powerful stuff. His 88-93 mph fastball has late life and has touched 96-98 in the past. His curveball has sharp break at 78-82 mph. His changeup is hard and heavy, with action that resembles a splitter. He made strides in his command and pitches with a dogged demeanor. A junior college reliever without much experience, Marek has some work to do on his delivery. It isn't effortless, and he could improve his balance over the rubber. He tends to miss up in the zone with his fastball. Marek projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter, and should climb to Double-A in 2007. -
Though Marek was used primarily in relief at San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, he touched 94 mph during the 2004 Junior College World Series, earning most outstanding pitcher honors and convincing the Angels to select him as a draft-and-follow pick. He led the Jayhawk League with eight saves that summer, then continued to build buzz by hitting 98 mph during fall practice. After continuing to light up radar guns last spring, he signed for $800,000. Marek could have gone as high as the second round had he re-entered the draft, and he also had a scholarship to pitch at Texas. Marek has a sturdy build and good mechanics, enabling him to pitch from a good downward plane. He pitched out of the Orem rotation after signing and ran his fastball up to 96 before his velocity tapered off to 89-90 by the end of the summer. He made strides in learning how to pitch in the process, though he's a work in progress and his command has a ways to go. His curveball is a sharp, two-plane hammer that comes in at 78-82 mph. He experimented with a changeup, which presently is a below-average pitch. Marek is still raw, especially for a 22-year-old, and San Jac gave scouts pause by redshirting him in his first year and never warming to him as a starter. He profiles best as a set-up man and should open 2006 in low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
The San Jacinto (Texas) pitching staff was so deep and his command so erratic that Marek redshirted for a season in junior college and relieved in his other two, yet his talent was such that the Angels gave him an $800,000 signing bonus as a draft-and-follow last May. Given a chance to become a starter in pro ball, he has seized it. He led the MWL in ERA (1.96) and was just as spectacular as Adenhart at Cedar Rapids and after their promotions to high Class A. No longer considered just a thrower, Marek showed two plus pitches and a feel for a third. He hit both sides of the plate with his 88-93 mph fastball, which features late action. His heater reached as high as 98 mph at San Jacinto, and he could achieve more velocity as he gets more accustomed to pro ball and a starter's workload. Some scouts believe Marek's hard curveball is better than his fastball, and he was willing to use it in any count. He also located his changeup well and hitters can't dare look for it instead of his power stuff. He repeated his delivery, threw strikes and competed well. -
The Angels selected Marek as a 40th-round draft-and-follow shortly after he was named most outstanding pitcher at the 2004 Junior College World Series. He boosted his stock by pitching in the mid-90s last fall and wound up signing for $800,000 prior to the 2005 draft, the largest bonus given a 2004 draft-and-follow. Marek has a sturdy build and good mechanics, enabling him to deliver his pitches on a good downward plane. His fastball tapered off to 89-90 mph late in the season, but he topped out at 96 and pitched at 92 much of the summer. His breaking ball is a sharp, two-plane curveball that comes in at 78-82 mph. He was asked to craft a changeup, which he used a handful of times each start and has potential to be an average pitch. Marek tended to miss with his pitches up in the strike zone and will have to improve his command. At 22 and with two potentially plus pitches, he could move quickly. San Jacinto JC used him exclusively in relief, and he may profile best as a setup man.
