“He's always acting professionally. He knows he's our future."
—Former teammate Sammy Sosa

"He's a workout warrior, bordering on a fanatic. He's a genuine power pitcher. He also has a work ethic that's off the charts."
—USC head coach Mike Gillespie

"Mark's taken all the traditional stuff and all the new stuff and put it all together. No one as has integrated all the pieces as well as Mark."
—Pitching Guru Tom House

"Some guys throw 95 and they're nice to hit off. But he's got this easy windup and then—whoosh!—his fastball gets on you quick. He's the real deal."
—Veteran Aaron Boone

"He's a very coachable kid. You can tell by the way he acts how much potential he has."
—Former Cubs manager Don Baylor

"The kid has got great command. He's got a great body for pitching, and throws his fastball and curveball above average. He looks like he's got a real good feel for pitching."
—Former manager Jim Fregosi

"He's been through it all already. He won't fall victim to any of the pressure."
—Former teammate Kerry Wood

“Once in a while you get a player in your franchise you know is a once-in-a-decade kind of guy and you’re really fortunate to have. This is the type of kid where it’s once-in-your-baseball-lifetime. To this point, he’s that special.”
—Former Cubs president & ceo Andy MacPhail

“It’s almost like he has prepared himself to pitch most of his life, yet he has a solid life away from baseball.”
—Pitching coach Larry Rothschild

“His shoulder and body will let us know when he's able to pitch in a Major League game.”
—Padres manager Bud Black

“It's exciting that Mark is coming home to San Diego to pitch for the Padres.”
—Padres GM Kevin Towers

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