Brailyn Marquez is the Cubs’ future, but the future just got a little closer.
The Cubs will add their 21-year-old top prospect and hard-throwing left-hander to the postseason 40-man roster along with 11 other taxi squad players.
The Cubs finalized their final postseason 40-man roster following Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the Pirates. In addition to Marquez, the 40-man roster also includes left-hander Justin Steele, outfielder Albert Almora Jr. and right-handers Tyler Chatwood and Rowan Wick, who are currently on the 10-day injured list.
Of the names added to the team’s 40-man roster, Marquez is the one that jumps off the page as he features one of the game’s most electric arms. He’s currently listed as the No. 64 prospect in Major League Baseball, according to MLB Pipeline and will be the team’s only top prospect who is playoff eligible.
Marquez went 9-5 with a 3.13 earned-run average in 22 minor-league starts in last year. Overall, he has gone 16-12 with a 3.19 ERA in a four-year, 57-game minor-league career, but has never pitched above .
Marquez — a 6-4, 185-pounder from the Dominican Republic — has been training at the team’s alternate site in South Bend. He’s racked up several achievements while in the minors, including Pitcher of the Week while playing at South Bend in 2019, and was named MILB.com organization all-star.
“He’s throwing the ball really well in South Bend,” said general manager Jed Hoyer about Marquez’s progress last week. “I don’t want to comment beyond that other than the fact that he’s worked really hard with our guys at the alternate site.
“I think he’s progressed nicely. I think he’s gotten better and better, kind of by the week, being there. Many people forget this a guy that hadn’t thrown more than a handful of innings above High-A. Never pitched above High-A ball, so he’s made nice progress this year and certainly someone we have a lot of high hopes for going forward.”
The plan for Marquez, at least right now, is to provide depth for the Cubs’ active roster on the taxi squad. The 21-year-old southpaw has made significant progress while working at South Bend and has been able to fine tune his electric stuff.
But sources say that the expectations for the fire-balling southpaw should curbed. The young lefty has hit triple digits on the gun and could present some matchup nightmares for teams in October, but while the organization loves his arm, there are still things to be developed.
The alternate site has been beneficial for the Cubs this season and have had several members on the 28-man active roster start the season before contributing with the big-league club.
Right-handers Adbert Alzolay and Jason Adam were both in South Bend, but have been a part of the bullpen’s recent resurgence. Adam is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 11 appearances. Alzolay developed a new slider while working at the alternate site and it has been a weapon. He struck out seven over four innings of relief on Tuesday.
“We put a lot of work in that pitch,” Alzolay said. “I give credit to our pitching coaches down there and the minor league coordinator, Craig Breslow.
“Down there we have two guys — Ron Villone and James Ogden. I was working with them just trying to find that [slider] grip that is helping me now to separate that pitch from the curveball.”
