Beyond simply having live baseball back, two of the best aspects of spring training are getting a glimpse at prospects and seeing what new wrinkles players have added to their respective games. That’s why I was looking forward to seeing Brailyn Márquez on the mound in Mesa after he got a tiny little cup of espresso in the last game of the 2020 season.
The big lefty can hit triple digits with his fastball and he’s got wipeout stuff, the kind of combo we’ve never seen from a homegrown Cubs pitcher. And he’s a starter, so it’s really unlike anything we’ve ever seen from a pitcher wearing a Cubs uniform.