Name: Ramon Marquez
Position: RHP
Born: 9/19/2005
Country: United States
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’2″ 182lbs
How Acquired: International Free Agent (2025 Class)
Signed: 1/15/2025
Bonus: $10,000
Options Remaining: 3
Rule 5 Eligible: 2028
MiLB Free Agency: 2031
Stats
Prospect Rankings
Summary: This season Marquez increased the velocity on all of his pitches, turning his slider into more of a cutter and second weapon next to his already near elite changeup. Marquez still has a poorly shaped fastball that could be the thing that causes him to struggle against better hitters. His command is fine for the level, but given his pitch mix he is going to need to have plus command down the road. He is putting up some of the best underlying numbers of any minor league pitcher and has mid rotation upside if he can continue on his current trajectory.
Trade Deadline: Marquez is probably at the peak of his value right now. He is multiple years from needing to be on a 40 man roster, and his numbers are as good as any pitcher in the minor leagues. As a starting pitching prospect, Marquez will have broad trade appeal, but also is at a position of need for the Phillies going forward. Marquez fits as the primary piece for a non-Skubal high end rental, a secondary piece for an impact player with control, or maybe a major piece for a solid player with control. The Phillies should value Marquez highly, but he probably needs to be a piece if they make a big trade, in particular for a non-rental.
Marquez broke out last year after being an unheralded international signing, and has made a second jump this season. His velocity is up 2+ mph across the board with his fastball now averaging over 95. His slider has become more of a cutter now, giving him a weapon against righties. His best pitch is a changeup that has good deception and separation from his fastball, that has had some of the best results of any pitch in the minors. His fastball has poor movement and their concerns about whether his whole arsenal continues to dominate against better hitters.
Role: #3/4 Starter
Risk: High – Marquez has 4 starts of full season ball in his career, so he will need to prove that he can sell his changeup against higher level hitters. He has a mature arsenal for his age and experience level.
Overview: The Phillies signed Marquez as an overage, low bonus 19 year old when the 2025 international signing period opened. He stood out, particularly for his changeup, as Dominican Spring Training went on, and the Phillies moved him to the FCL for his pro debut. He had some struggles, but flashed dominance. After the end of the FCL season he made 4 appearances with the Threshers, ending with two great appearances. Marquez’s fastball is his worst pitch, sitting 92 to 96 with movement that is sinker-ish, but not fully committed to the armside movement. He split his usage of his two secondary pitches pretty equally late in the year, especially as he worked on his slider. His slider is a near perfect 0” IVB 0” HB gyro that averages about 86 mph. It wasn’t a particularly good bat misser in the zone, but he can throw it for strikes and chases without getting killed in the zone. The monster pitch for Marquez is his changeup. He throws it with the same arm speed and spin rate as his fastball, but has a nearly 13mph velocity separation from his fastball with 9 inches less induced vertical break. In his 4 Florida State League appearances, opposing hitters had a 53% zone contact rate on it with a 51% chase rate. It is not a surprise that he completely neutralized left handed batters all season. Marquez is a bit on the older side, but he has a frame that could add a little more muscle and possibly velocity. He will need to improve his command because his fastball will get hit. How much he can improve around that weakness will determine if he is just a fun back end starter or if he has more ceiling.
2026 Outlook: After his brief appearance with the Threshers in 2025, Marquez will likely start in the Threshers rotation in 2026. If his changeup overwhelms low minors hitters, the Phillies may be forced to promote him quickly.
Summary: The Phillies signed Marquez this January and then sent him directly to the FCL after DSL spring training. He has been impressive in his short pro career, with his fastballs sitting low 90s and reaching up to 96. His changeup and slider will both show above average to plus. He throws a good amount of strikes as well. He has good size and some remaining projection, but he is trending more as a back end starter with a little more upside than a potential breakout front end type.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Marquez will draw interest from teams looking to make deals. The Phillies under Dombrowski have rarely traded from their complexes so moving Marquez would be a bit of a surprise. He is on the older side and depending on the Phillies internal valuation of him there could be a scenario where they think he is at peak on his hype cycle.
July 26 #4
Summary: This season Marquez increased the velocity on all of his pitches, turning his slider into more of a cutter and second weapon next to his already near elite changeup. Marquez still has a poorly shaped fastball that could be the thing that causes him to struggle against better hitters. His command is fine for the level, but given his pitch mix he is going to need to have plus command down the road. He is putting up some of the best underlying numbers of any minor league pitcher and has mid rotation upside if he can continue on his current trajectory.
Trade Deadline: Marquez is probably at the peak of his value right now. He is multiple years from needing to be on a 40 man roster, and his numbers are as good as any pitcher in the minor leagues. As a starting pitching prospect, Marquez will have broad trade appeal, but also is at a position of need for the Phillies going forward. Marquez fits as the primary piece for a non-Skubal high end rental, a secondary piece for an impact player with control, or maybe a major piece for a solid player with control. The Phillies should value Marquez highly, but he probably needs to be a piece if they make a big trade, in particular for a non-rental.
June 26 #4
Marquez broke out last year after being an unheralded international signing, and has made a second jump this season. His velocity is up 2+ mph across the board with his fastball now averaging over 95. His slider has become more of a cutter now, giving him a weapon against righties. His best pitch is a changeup that has good deception and separation from his fastball, that has had some of the best results of any pitch in the minors. His fastball has poor movement and their concerns about whether his whole arsenal continues to dominate against better hitters.
2026 #14
Role: #3/4 Starter
Risk: High – Marquez has 4 starts of full season ball in his career, so he will need to prove that he can sell his changeup against higher level hitters. He has a mature arsenal for his age and experience level.
Overview: The Phillies signed Marquez as an overage, low bonus 19 year old when the 2025 international signing period opened. He stood out, particularly for his changeup, as Dominican Spring Training went on, and the Phillies moved him to the FCL for his pro debut. He had some struggles, but flashed dominance. After the end of the FCL season he made 4 appearances with the Threshers, ending with two great appearances. Marquez’s fastball is his worst pitch, sitting 92 to 96 with movement that is sinker-ish, but not fully committed to the armside movement. He split his usage of his two secondary pitches pretty equally late in the year, especially as he worked on his slider. His slider is a near perfect 0” IVB 0” HB gyro that averages about 86 mph. It wasn’t a particularly good bat misser in the zone, but he can throw it for strikes and chases without getting killed in the zone. The monster pitch for Marquez is his changeup. He throws it with the same arm speed and spin rate as his fastball, but has a nearly 13mph velocity separation from his fastball with 9 inches less induced vertical break. In his 4 Florida State League appearances, opposing hitters had a 53% zone contact rate on it with a 51% chase rate. It is not a surprise that he completely neutralized left handed batters all season. Marquez is a bit on the older side, but he has a frame that could add a little more muscle and possibly velocity. He will need to improve his command because his fastball will get hit. How much he can improve around that weakness will determine if he is just a fun back end starter or if he has more ceiling.
2026 Outlook: After his brief appearance with the Threshers in 2025, Marquez will likely start in the Threshers rotation in 2026. If his changeup overwhelms low minors hitters, the Phillies may be forced to promote him quickly.
July 25 #21
Summary: The Phillies signed Marquez this January and then sent him directly to the FCL after DSL spring training. He has been impressive in his short pro career, with his fastballs sitting low 90s and reaching up to 96. His changeup and slider will both show above average to plus. He throws a good amount of strikes as well. He has good size and some remaining projection, but he is trending more as a back end starter with a little more upside than a potential breakout front end type.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Marquez will draw interest from teams looking to make deals. The Phillies under Dombrowski have rarely traded from their complexes so moving Marquez would be a bit of a surprise. He is on the older side and depending on the Phillies internal valuation of him there could be a scenario where they think he is at peak on his hype cycle.
Season Reports/Highlights
Phillies Minor League Monthly Retrospective – May 2026
RHP Ramon Marquez (#14) – A minor injury, plus some worries about building workload meant that Marquez didn’t make his official season debut until May. In those 18.2 innings he has walked 6 to 32 strikeouts. He is throwing harder this year with his fastball and changeup up 1.5 mph on average, but his slider is up 3 mph and is acting more like a cutter. The cutter in particular has turned facing righties from a struggle to a strength. This has allowed him to throw his fastball less, and reduce the amount of fastballs opposing batters have swung at. Given his fastball weaknesses, Marquez will probably need to split the pitch into a distinct 4-seam and sinker shape so that he can compete with his offspeed pitches. Marquez is sort of unconventional, but if he can continue to trend up he looks like a mid rotation starter.
Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 7 5/5-5/11)
RHP Ramon Marquez
1 GS 4 IP 1 H 2 R 0 ER 2 BB 9 K
Marquez was one of the breakout players of the 2025 season, and a minor injury and workload management had him spend the first month of the season in extended spring training. In his first start for the Threshers he struck out the first 7 batters he faced. Daytona doesn’t have Statcast, but the broadcast had him 95-96. In his latest appearance on the backfields he was 94-97, so it looks like there is a velocity uptick that is sticking. Marquez is throwing is still finding feel for a slider, but he is throwing the pitch harder this year and it looks better. His changeup, which was his best pitch last year, still is a devastating offering, that he is also throwing 3 mph harder. He isn’t Cristopher Sanchez (he is shorter, throws more of 4-seam fastball than a sinker, and does not have as easy a delivery), but his secondary pitches have a way on invoking a mirrored image of the Phillies ace.
Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 17 7/15-7/21)
2 GS 8 IP 7 H 4 ER 3 BB 14 K
After making Baseball America’s Top 25 FCL Prospects list it isn’t like Marquez is really under the radar nationally, but he is definitely a name that will surprise many when he starts showing up on prospect lists. His 4.50 ERA on a not great FCL Phillies team won’t stand out, but much of that comes from 6 runs he gave up on July 8 and his .345 BABIP in front of a poor defense. Marquez was signed as an amateur international free agent this January as an overage 19 year old, but the Phillies moved him to the FCL after the completion of DSL Spring Training. He isn’t physically overpowering on the mound, but there is probably some room for a full offseason to fill him out some. His fastballs has been more in the low 90s, but in his second start this week he was more 92-95 T96. His slider has looked better and could be an above average pitch. He has leaned on his changeup less of late, and to me it looks like a future plus pitch that was just tearing through complex league hitters. Without a jump in stuff he is trending as a back end starting pitcher, but also he has just 38 professional innings and has show a really solid base to build on.
May 2026
Phillies Minor League Monthly Retrospective – May 2026
RHP Ramon Marquez (#14) – A minor injury, plus some worries about building workload meant that Marquez didn’t make his official season debut until May. In those 18.2 innings he has walked 6 to 32 strikeouts. He is throwing harder this year with his fastball and changeup up 1.5 mph on average, but his slider is up 3 mph and is acting more like a cutter. The cutter in particular has turned facing righties from a struggle to a strength. This has allowed him to throw his fastball less, and reduce the amount of fastballs opposing batters have swung at. Given his fastball weaknesses, Marquez will probably need to split the pitch into a distinct 4-seam and sinker shape so that he can compete with his offspeed pitches. Marquez is sort of unconventional, but if he can continue to trend up he looks like a mid rotation starter.
Week 7 2026
Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 7 5/5-5/11)
RHP Ramon Marquez
1 GS 4 IP 1 H 2 R 0 ER 2 BB 9 K
Marquez was one of the breakout players of the 2025 season, and a minor injury and workload management had him spend the first month of the season in extended spring training. In his first start for the Threshers he struck out the first 7 batters he faced. Daytona doesn’t have Statcast, but the broadcast had him 95-96. In his latest appearance on the backfields he was 94-97, so it looks like there is a velocity uptick that is sticking. Marquez is throwing is still finding feel for a slider, but he is throwing the pitch harder this year and it looks better. His changeup, which was his best pitch last year, still is a devastating offering, that he is also throwing 3 mph harder. He isn’t Cristopher Sanchez (he is shorter, throws more of 4-seam fastball than a sinker, and does not have as easy a delivery), but his secondary pitches have a way on invoking a mirrored image of the Phillies ace.
Week 17 2025
Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 17 7/15-7/21)
2 GS 8 IP 7 H 4 ER 3 BB 14 K
After making Baseball America’s Top 25 FCL Prospects list it isn’t like Marquez is really under the radar nationally, but he is definitely a name that will surprise many when he starts showing up on prospect lists. His 4.50 ERA on a not great FCL Phillies team won’t stand out, but much of that comes from 6 runs he gave up on July 8 and his .345 BABIP in front of a poor defense. Marquez was signed as an amateur international free agent this January as an overage 19 year old, but the Phillies moved him to the FCL after the completion of DSL Spring Training. He isn’t physically overpowering on the mound, but there is probably some room for a full offseason to fill him out some. His fastballs has been more in the low 90s, but in his second start this week he was more 92-95 T96. His slider has looked better and could be an above average pitch. He has leaned on his changeup less of late, and to me it looks like a future plus pitch that was just tearing through complex league hitters. Without a jump in stuff he is trending as a back end starting pitcher, but also he has just 38 professional innings and has show a really solid base to build on.