Hunter Brown

Brown wasn’t on the radar of many crosscheckers or scouting directors prior to the season, but that quickly changed after showing impressive velocity and better strike-throwing ability than area scouts were expecting to see from the 6-foot-2, 203-pound righty. Brown has an electric fastball that touches 98 mph, and he holds his velocity well over his outings, sitting in the 91-95 mph range into the sixth and seventh innings. Part of that is because he has a good understanding of how to add and subtract with his fastball velocity during games, and part of that is because he made some adjustments with his delivery over the summer which increased his top-end velocity and allowed him to hold it longer into games. Brown’s slider is not as consistent as his fastball. It’s a pitch that flashes above-average grades at its best but also fluctuates down to a 40-grade offering as well. Scouts also want to see improvement from a changeup. There is some crossfire and slight recoil in Brown’s delivery, which leads to questions as to whether or not he’s a long-term starter or reliever. Over his first 14 starts and 85.1 innings, Brown struck out 114 batters (12 per nine) and walked 39 (4.1 per nine) with a 2.21 ERA.