Jason Marquis, how can I explain it
I’ll take you frame by frame it
Left Minnesota ’cause he was getting hit
San Diego success has you scratchin’ temple
Why?…well…that’s not that simple

OK, now that I got my Naughty By Nature out of my system, let’s take a look at Jason Marquis’ recent success.

When Marquis left Minnesota he was 2-4 with a bloated 8.47 ERA. Those are beer league softball numbers. Now that he’s back in the National League, it’s like he’s a new man.

For the Padres, he’s still struggling with wins and losses at 1-2, but he has posted a 1.86 ERA over 19-1/3 innings in his three starts.

Marquis has never really been a shut-down pitcher, as evidenced by his lifetime marks of 107-104, a 4.60 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP, but he has at least been a serviceable pitcher with some fantasy value. Those are two things that couldn’t have been further from the truth in his brief stint in Minnesota.

Part of it could be his comfort level in the National League. He is also going to a pitcher’s park (not that Target Field is a launching pad) and to an offensively-challenged division. It also could just be the sweet mustache he’s rocking.

It should not be surprising that Marquis is only owned in a handful of fantasy leagues considering his early-season struggles. I will still only use him as a streaming option, but that wasn’t even a question a few weeks ago. His next start comes tomorrow against the Mariners in Seattle, so continued success wouldn’t be surprising.

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