Mark's meteoric rise to the major leagues was completed on May 22, when he made his major-league debut with a magical 10-strikeout performance. He recorded six 10-strikeout games, striking out 11.34 batters per nine innings, second in the National League behind only Randy Johnson. Mark finished his rookie season at 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA. He had 147 strikeouts in only 116.1 innings pitched.

Mark was the second overall pick in the 2001 draft. As a collegiate star at USC, Mark enjoyed one of the greatest seasons ever for a college pitcher, going 15-1 with a 1.69 ERA. He struck out 202 batters in just 138.2 innings. In two seasons at USC was 25-8. Mark has a mid-90s fastball to go along with a hard curve ball and outstanding control. His rookie season ended early with a hamstring injury, but the Cubs expect the 23-year-old back healthy and to be a key anchor of their pitching rotation.

--BigLeaguers.com