MLB Pipeline’s latest top-100 prospect list came out Thursday, and the Giants landed another name on it: right-hander Ramon Marquez, who checked in at No. 100.
That gives San Francisco five prospects in the updated rankings. Josuar Gonzalez sits highest among them at No. 17, with Luis Hernández right behind at No. 27 and Jackson Flora at No.
- Jhonny Level rounds out the group at No.
Gonzalez has been thriving at Low-A despite being younger than most players who excel at that level. Level has done something similar in his own way, moving up from Low-A earlier this year and continuing to hit at High-A while still ranking among the youngest position players there.
The Giants have built a particularly promising crop in the middle infield, and they added to the pitching side last month when they drafted Flora. They also brought in Marquez at the trade deadline.
Marquez arrived in the deal that sent Luis Arráez and Caleb Kilian to the Philadelphia Phillies, with hard-throwing prospect Marty Gair also going to San Francisco in the trade.
At the time, Marquez was putting together one of the better seasons in the lower minors. That kind of arm usually doesn’t get moved for a rental, but Kilian’s inclusion helped make the trade happen.
In 63 innings split between Low-A and High-A this season, the 20-year-old has posted a 2.14 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 2.48 FIP, 14.4 K/9 and a 5.05 SO/W rate. He made his organizational debut with the Eugene Emeralds earlier this week and allowed four earned runs in four innings, striking out eight and walking one. A defensive misplay made the line look rougher than it was, and he was effective on the mound.
Marquez works from a three-quarters arm slot and leans on a mid 90’s fastball with a low 80’s changeup. The velocity gap helps the changeup play up, and he does a good job tunneling the two pitches to keep hitters off balance. The changeup shows late fading action that often leads to swings and misses.
He also mixes in an upper 80’s cutter and slider, and he throws all of his pitches for strikes. Marquez has been one of the highest-strikeout starting pitchers in the minors this year.
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