Brailyn Marquez

Marquez has a chance to be the Cubs' first good homegrown starter since Jeff Samardzija, or Kyle Hendricks if we count him, even though he was drafted by the Rangers. A 6-foot-4, 185-pound southpaw, Marquez has an 80-grade fastball that regularly touches triple digits. Blake Snell and James Paxton led left-handed starters with an average fastball velocity of 95.5 mph, and Marquez easily outpaces them. He also has a plus slider and average changeup. His power arsenal allowed him to log an impressive 50.6 GB% across 103.2 innings. It will be his command that dictates whether he is a lights-out reliever or frontline starter. Marquez has worked diligently to sync up his delivery in an effort to improve his control, and it showed as the season went on. He logged a 13.0 BB% at Low-A and a 6.6 BB% in five High-A starts. Every pitching prospect carries significant risk, but few can match his upside.