Jacob Marceaux
| IP | 300 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.13 |
| WHIP | 1.56 |
| BB/9 | 4.47 |
| SO/9 | 6.36 |
- Full name Jacob Lane Marceaux
- Born 02/14/1984 in Crowley, LA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Mcneese State
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Drafted in the 1st round (29th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2005 (signed for $1,000,000).
View Draft Report
Marceaux received precious little exposure before exploding onto the prospect scene this spring. He was home-schooled until his senior year of high school in 2002, and just two teams were on him as a possible draft pick that year. He compiled a 5.20 ERA while spending most of his first two seasons at McNeese State in the bullpen, rarely throwing a breaking ball, before pitching for former all-star closer Mike Henneman in the Texas Collegiate League last summer. Henneman taught him a mid-80s slider and a mid-70s spike curveball. Marceaux's fastball also has taken a step forward this spring, as he has pitched at 93-95 mph with good sinking life. His changeup is a solid-average pitch that he can locate on both sides of the plate. There are minor concerns about his durability--he missed two starts after pulling a ribcage muscle in mid-March--so some scouts project him as a reliever. But Marceaux has a deep enough repertoire to warrant the opportunity to make it as a starter first.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Of the five pitchers the Marlins drafted before the second round in the 2005 draft, four landed among the top eight spots on this list while Marceaux remains the enigma. See him one day and he might appear overpowering, with an 89-91 mph fastball that touches 94 and has good movement, a 12-to-6 curveball, a potential plus slider and a changeup. Come back for his next outing, and you can't be sure you're seeing the same guy. His fastball tends to flatten out as Marceaux lifts his arm slot and tries to overthrow it, and the same goes for the secondary stuff. A devout tinkerer, he just needs to trust his stuff and stick with the basics. Toward that end, roving pitching coordinator Wayne Rosenthal worked with Marceaux on a few minor mechanical adjustments during a fall minicamp. Strong enough to start, Marceaux will remain in the bullpen, in large part because of his problems repeating his delivery. He went to Hawaii Winter Baseball in hopes he might emulate the rapid Hawaii-to-bigs rise of Rick Vanden Hurk, but Marceaux continued to battle inconsistency. With a $1 million investment in him, the Marlins will give Marceaux plenty of chances to figure things out. After repeating high Class A in 2007, he'll advance to Double-A this year. -
While scouting director Stan Meek hit on four of the five arms he took in the first and sandwich rounds in 2005, Marceaux--the only college arm of the bunch--has disappointed to this point. He was the highest draft pick ever out of McNeese State and signed for a $1 million bonus, but blisters and nagging injuries plagued him much of his first full season. He first had a problem near his shoulder blade early in the year, and later he took a line drive off his ankle and missed time. His repertoire includes an 88-92 mph fastball with good life that he can cut and sink, a hard overhand curve with 12-to-6 break, a decent slider and a developing changeup that at times was his best offspeed offering. The blisters, which were particularly nasty and developed near the fingernail on his right middle finger, limited his use of the slider. Marceaux also tends to be hard on himself and often has a tough time repeating his delivery. As a result, some believe he is best suited for relief work. He may go back to high Class A to open 2007, but he should reach Double-A at some point. -
Florida's third pick in the first round last June, Marceaux was the only college arm scouting director Stan Meek took with his five picks in the top 44. Marceaux' stock took off after a strong showing in the Texas Collegiate League the summer before his junior season. Former all-star closer Mike Henneman was his pitching coach and taught him a pair of breaking balls, proper mechanics and the mindset needed to succeed. Marceaux used those lessons to become the highest draft pick in McNeese State history and signed for $1 million. Much to his surprise, Marceaux struggled mightily in his pro debut. His two-seam fastball still sat at 92-93 mph and topped out at 94-95, but he showed a nagging tendency to fall behind hitters and overthrow. The Marlins blame themselves for making an adjustment to Marceaux' delivery, getting him to close his front side. They told him to revert to his old mechanics, and he began to get his confidence back late in the summer. All four of his pitches have graded out as plus at times. He also throws a mid-80s slider, a mid-70s spike curveball and a changeup. He has enough pitches and the command to be a starter, but his bulldog mentality profiles him as a short reliever. He'll pitch in low Class A this year.
