After making his season debut out of the bullpen on Tuesday, Cubs pitcher Ben Brown may have his eyes set on a spot in the rotation.
After relieving Shota Imanaga after four innings, Brown pitched 2.2 innings allowing four hits, two earned runs, and three walks while striking out five in Tokyo. His command was a bit shaky but his pitches danced over the plate, showcasing his elite potential. The 13 whiffs he generated on his Kunuckle-Curve were jaw-dropping and he topped out at 97.1 MPH on his fastball.
With the bottom of the rotation being a question, Brown could find himself being stretched out and going every fifth day for the Cubs.
Counsell is leaving the door open
When asked about Brown’s potential role in the rotation, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said ““He’s feeling really good.” He also remarked “I think that shows us some signs of being a really good Major League starting pitcher. If that’s the direction we go, that’s a pretty good arm. There’s some ceiling there, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
Brown started in eight of his fifteen appearances in his rookie campaign last year. Overall he pitched well with a 3.58 ERA and a 112 ERA+ in 55.1 innings. He also struck out 64 batters to just 19 walks for a 3.37 K/BB ratio. Brown posted a very good 10.4 K/9 ratio in his rookie season.
Last season Brown was utilized as a pitching weapono for the Cubs. He made some starts but only went more than 5 innings once. He also made some appearances as a long reliever and closer for the Cubs.
Brown’s season was cut short by an unusual neck injury. This prompted the Cusb to air on the side of caution and shut him down for the rest of the season.
Sky high potential
Brown’s Baseball savant page is further proof of his sky-high potential. His average fastball velocity of 96.4, his whiff rate of 31.4, and his K Rate of 28.8 are all elite. He did however struggle with giving up hard contact. He ranked bottom five percentile in Barrel Rate, Hard Hit rate, and average exit velocity. Batters do damage when they can make contact with Brown’s pitches. Endcuing more weak contact and increasing his ground ball rate will be the key for Brown to become a reliable everyday starter for Chicago.
When asked about his potential role as a starter Brown said “It’s a dream come true,” and “to be able to compete for a job you’ve been dreaming of your whole life. It just puts more emphasis on the day-to-day and going out and executing what I can control. It’s exciting, though. It’s an exciting position to be in.”
Brown will likely compete with Colin Rea for the final Cubs rotation spot. Rea is a six-year veteran who is rejoining the Cubs after a brief stint in 2020. Last season he pitched 167.2 innings for the Brew Crew, a career best. His 4.29 ERA is average, but he was a valuable innings eater and a decent back-of-the-rotation starter in Milwaukee.
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