A chunk titled “Analytically Inclined, Ben Brown Boasts a Energy Arsenal” ran right here at FanGraphs again on March 13, 2024, two-plus weeks earlier than Brown made his main league debut. Then one of many prime pitching prospects within the Chicago Cubs group, Brown may now be greatest described as a high-upside hurler with loads left to show. The 26-year-old right-hander is coming off a 2025 season through which he logged a 5.92 ERA and 4.08 FIP whereas permitting 121 hits, 18 of which left the yard, over 106 1/3 innings.
A brand new addition to his arsenal may very well be what permits him to show the nook. Together with an 96-mph four-seam fastball, 87-mph curveball, and 90-mph kick-change, the 6-foot-6 East Setauket, New York native is now throwing a two-seamer.
“I began pitch-designing it throughout the offseason,” Brown informed me at Cubs camp on Wednesday. “I used to be coaching in Nashville, picked the brains of some dudes, and it bought to the purpose the place I actually appreciated it. I threw in all probability 15 of them [over two scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals] the opposite day and it went properly.”
One “dude” specifically performed a key function in him studying the pitch.
“Clay Holmes launched me to the grip,” Brown mentioned of the New York Mets right-hander who threw the fifth-highest proportion of sinkers amongst certified pitchers final season. “His sinker is loads completely different than mine, however he’s a extremely shiny baseball thoughts. He simply does a extremely good job of speaking and educating. He’s one heck of a coach in addition to a participant. One factor he did is assist me to kill spin effectivity.”
Requested how his sinker differs from Holmes’, Brown responded a lot as I assumed he may. Once more, the 2024 article described him as analytically inclined.
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“He’s a bit extra seam-shifted,” mentioned Brown. “He’s throwing like -2 [vertical] and 20 [horizontal] sinkers. The best way that he throws — completely different arm angle, a supinator — he’s in a position to manipulate the ball in a different way than I’m. Clay’s potential to control the baseball is definitely higher than something I’ve ever seen. So yeah, I’m getting extra experience than he’s — much more experience — in addition to a bit bit much less run. My greatest bullet the opposite day was seven [vertical], 17 [horizontal]. Hopefully my four-seam is the precise reverse of that. That’s the purpose, to get a superb distinction between the 2 pitches.”
Batters’ potential to hone in on his heater necessitated the brand new look. The numbers function ample proof. Brown threw 978 four-seamers final season (55.6% of his complete pitches), to the tune of a .315 batting common allowed, 11 house runs allowed, and a .566 slugging proportion. “Clearly, it bought hit fairly laborious final yr,” the tall righty acknowledged. “I wanted to make some changes.”
Together with including a brand new fastball, he’s trying to enhance the standard of the previous one. As with the two-seamer, spin effectivity is a part of the equation.
“I’m making an attempt to kill effectivity on my four-seam, which ought to assist,” Brown defined. “The extra environment friendly your four-seam goes to be, the extra on arm angle it’s going to be. So the extra you possibly can kill effectivity, the extra off arm angle you could be. That’s the place guys are getting the cut-ride. Their effectivity might be 80%, which I’m in a position to do on my sinker, which is nice. I’m making an attempt to emulate that on my four-seam. It’s a piece in progress.”
Addressing the remainder of his arsenal, Brown mentioned that his curveball — a pitch that he threw at a 39.9% clip, to the tune of a .252 batting common allowed and a .413 slugging proportion — “feels good.” Nothing has modified there.
As for his sporadically-used (4.5%) change-of-pace, it’s transferring in the suitable route. Brown started engaged on a kick-change across the mid level of final season, and because of his “attending to pitch-design all of it offseason,” it’s getting nearer to the place he needs it. Metrically, the purpose is the zero line. “It’s in a fairly great place proper now,” he informed me.
As for the place Brown will probably be on Opening Day, that continues to be to be seen. The almost definitely situation has him starting the yr within the beginning rotation at Triple-A Iowa, however loads can occur between now and March 26. Wherever he begins out, he ought to play a significant function on the North Facet this season. Armed with a promising new pitch that Clay Holmes helped him develop, Brown might very properly be prepared to show the nook.