Guess who's currently leading the league in Wins?

With a record of 12-6 and an ERA of 3.49, I think it's safe to say that Jason Marquis is turning in a career year. Having never had more than 15 wins in any season, it's a bit surprising he's found such a nice groove up at Coors Field. But none the less his home ERA is respectable (3.80) and it's not like he's had to rely solely on run support to win. He's a major reason why the Colorado Rockies are leading the Wild Card race after passing the San Francisco Giants earlier this week.

A remarkably consistent pitcher the last 6 years, he's averaged 12 wins without finishing a season with an ERA under 4.00. When I watch him pitch, I see the "intangibles" of a good pitcher. He's smart on the mound. He gets ahead of hitters early, forces them to hit his pitch, and keeps the ball off the sweet spot of the bat. Being a lifelong Giants fan, I see many similarities to the former Giant pitcher Kirk Rueter, who averaged 13 Wins over 7 straight seasons from '97-'03 while posting an ERA under 4.00 just twice during that span.

While most pitchers rely on a mid-90's fastball and a "strike every hitter out" mentality, few pitchers truly master the art of pitching. At this point it would be ridiculous to start comparing Marquis to a guy like Greg Maddux, who's probably the greatest pure "pitcher" of all time, but it's definitely time we give him some props.

Fantasy Impact: He's the classic guy you'd love to have on your favorite team, just not on your fantasy team. His win total is impressive, but the peripheral stats just aren't up to par. Although probably not a free agent in deeper leagues, he's most likely available for the right price regardless.