Minor League Career
In 1996 Marquis began his pro career with the Danville Braves (Rookie Advanced) in the Appalachian League, going 1–1 with a 4.63 ERA in 7 games. He had 24 strikeouts and gave up 7 walks in 23 innings.
The next year he tied for the South Atlantic League lead with a team-record 14 victories for the Macon Braves, as he went 14–10 with a 4.38 ERA, tied for second in the league with 28 starts, and was named the Braves' fifth-rated prospect by Baseball America. "He's like a man on a mission to get to the big leagues", said Mark Ross, the Macon pitching coach. "He's doing great."
In 1998 he began the season as youngest pitcher in the Carolina League, but won only 2 of 22 starts for Class A Danville 97s, as he went 2–12 and struck out 135 in 114.2 innings, while walking only 41.
Marquis began the 1999 season at Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina League, where he opened the season by firing 20.0 consecutive scoreless innings. Marquis was named Baseball America Carolina League Player of the Week for the period April 15–21, as he pitched 10.0 innings, striking out 11. He allowed only one earned run in 6 starts (3–0, 0.28 ERA) before being promoted on May 10 to the Double-A Greenville Braves, and was named the Braves' sixth-rated prospect by Baseball America. With Greenville he went 3–4, 4.58 in 12 starts. He spent much of the summer on the DL with a sore elbow, a tender right shoulder, and a pulled oblique stomach muscle.
In 2000 Baseball America named him the Braves' fifth-rated prospect, and he split time between Double-A Greenville (going 4–2 with a 3.57 ERA), the Triple-A Richmond Braves, and Atlanta (15 games in relief; a 5.01 ERA). Marquis spent much of 2003 back in the minors, where his overall record at Richmond was 8–4, with a 3.35 ERA in 15 games (all starts).
Read more about this topic: Jason Marquis
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