Okay, @Rockies, here’s the deal. If y’all win 92 or more games this year, I will purchase a German Marquez [sic] jersey, a Rockies pajama set, a Rockies skirt, a Kyle Freeland plaque, and 2021 season tickets. We good? I will bookmark this to remind myself. In this Tweet promise to the Colorado Rockies, I chose a Germán Márquez jersey because he is my favorite pitcher on the team.
When he was sixteen years old, Germán Márquez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent. He was added to the 40-man roster following the 2015 Major League Baseball season, but was traded to Colorado alongside Jake McGee for Kevin Padlo and Corey Dickerson. He made his debut on September 8, 2016. Little did I know that he was going to become a beloved pitcher among fans and that he would become my favorite Rockies starter.
During his first full season with the team, Germán built an impressive rookie resume. He had 11 wins and seven losses with an Earned Run Average of 4.39, plus 1.38 Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched. His rookie strikeout statistics are gorgeous, as he had struck batters out 147 times and over half of his pitches were in the strike zone. At the end of the Rookie of the Year voting, Germán finished in fifth place.
From my viewpoint, that is a gorgeous way to start your career! That’s a surefire way to prove that you belong on the team. If I was a baseball manager and I had someone on my team who played like that, I would be giving a big-time phenomenal rave review about them. I’m so proud of Germán for having the rookie year he had.
2018 was a magical year for Germán. I remember early on in the season, people were posting on Twitter, “In this house, we love and appreciate Germán Márquez.” That year, he made me love and appreciate him very much. That summer, Germán hit his very first career home run off of Daniel Descalso, the first time since 1986 that a pitcher had hit a home run off a position player.
As if that wasn’t beautiful enough, on August 8, 2018, he pitched an immaculate inning, which is when a pitcher throws nine strikes in one inning. He also tied the record for eight consecutive strikeouts to start a game on September 26, 2018. The whipped cream on top of the pumpkin pie known as his wonderful year? A Silver Slugger award, being the first Colorado Rockies pitcher since Mike Hampton to receive the award.
So what about his statistics in 2018 overall? In my opinion, beyond beautiful. He had a 14-11 record, a 3.77 Earned Run Average, 230 strikeouts, 1.20 Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched, and a franchise record 10.561 strikeout average. Not only that, but he had a .300 batting average, 5 Runs Batted In, and .650 On-base Plus Slugging (a statistic that shows how well someone can hit and get on base). Mix all of those statistics together, and you get a beautiful season. He absolutely deserved that Silver Slugger award he won.
Germán started 2019 off on a great foot, agreeing to a well-deserved contract extension. In April, after the Rockies were off to a rough start, he pitched a one-hit complete game, the first one in team history. The only hit he gave up was a hit to first base by Evan Longoria. I remember being very excited when I got to see him play in July of that year. I loved getting to see him. He is, without a doubt, my favorite baseball pitcher because of his magical career so far. I remember telling the Colorado Rockies on Twitter, “His performance cleared my pores and boosted my potassium levels,” shortly after his outstanding appearance against San Francisco. Sadly, elbow issues affected his performance later in the year, but I will always be a Germán Márquez fan.
Germán is also a very loving father. He and his wife have a young son, Damian, who was nineteen months old in late February 2020, having been born in July 2018 according to Germán’s Instagram page. From what I see on Instagram, Damian is the apple of Germán’s eye. He loves his son very much and I am convinced that fatherhood has helped him become a very talented pitcher. Rockies fans and I believe in “dad power,” which is when players improve substantially when they become fathers.
I only see things going up for Germán. May his future include a Cy Young award, some gold glove awards, and a couple of All-Star Game appearances. In my heart, there is room for only love, appreciation, and respect for Germán “The Kaiser” Márquez.
SOURCES:
Elephants & Extra Base Hits 