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There are only two weeks left in the regular season, so it’s not like the Cubs have a lot of time to decide if Brailyn Marquez is ready to get a shot in the majors, but for the first time we heard David Ross talk about the possibility.
Not gonna lie, it was hilariously underwhelming to see the Cubs call up Rex Brothers before Friday night’s series opener against the Brewers, but at least it sounds like Marquez is a real option to come up soon.
David Ross, on feedback he's gotten on pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez:
"They talk about Brailyn continuing to get to a point where they think he might be able to impact us, or have the opportunity to come up and maybe impact us. So, it's a wait and see game, really."
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 11, 2020
Again, the Cubs only have 15 games left before the playoffs, so how about more seeing and less waiting.
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Anyway, it’s no surprise that Marquez is making the Cubs think about a promotion to the big leagues despite not pitching above High A-Ball in his young career. The 21-year-old had a breakout season in 2019, when he posted a 3.13 ERA in 103.2 innings.
The left-handed pitcher made 22 starts and struck out 128 batters. After making the jump to Myrtle Beach, Marquez had a 26/7 strikeout to walk ratio and recorded a 1.71 ERA in five starts.
He also had one of the most dominant stretches a Cubs prospect has had in at least a decade.
That was a stretch of only allowing 26 hits in 43.1 innings. And yes, that was against guys in the lower levels of the minors, but how can you not get hyped after listening to this quick scouting report from Dakota Mekkes, a fellow Cubs minor leaguer who’s been alongside Marquez in South Bend this summer.
Brailyn Marquez pitching as a reliever in South Bend, making big leaguers look silly. Next stop, Cubs bullpen?
Dakota Mekkes with the scouting report https://t.co/e9KhlCrRYx pic.twitter.com/ItyPHMfT1v
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) September 8, 2020
At the start of 2020, Baseball America ranked Marquez as not only the best pitching prospect for the Cubs, but number one overall in the farm system.
So Brailyn Marquez already possesses a 100 mph fastball and the coveted top spot in the @Cubs farm system.
But is it possible Marquez could actually unlock *another* level if his late adjustments in 2019 stick?
We believe so. https://t.co/HzXwseaBJs pic.twitter.com/0oO0z9eEvi
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 12, 2020
If Marquez does come up in the next couple weeks, he’ll be pitching out of the bullpen. At this point, the Cubs don’t really lose anything by trying to see if he can be a contributor in 2020.
