Drafted in the 4th round (124th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2005 (signed for $255,000).
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Undrafted in 2002 out of a California high school, Brown has improved at Arizona each season and is now a solid bet to be drafted in the first five rounds, possibly even the top three. Scouts have compared his style, bat and career path to former Angels first baseman Wally Joyner, who went undrafted out of high school and became a third-round pick in 1985 after a productive career at Brigham Young. Brown has a similarly aggressive approach at the plate and a powerful lefthanded bat. He led the Wildcats in home runs a year ago with 13, was the No. 3 hitter in the Cape Cod League last summer with a .318 average and led the Pacific-10 Conference in RBIs this season with 72, while hitting .342 with 11 homers. He's not athletic, but has made significant strides at first base and is a solid defender.
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Brown picked up MVP awards in the high Class A Carolina League in 2006 and in the Eastern League the following year, but a knee injury hampered him in 2008. Brown bounced back in 2009, winning the International League batting crown (.336) and ranking third in slugging (.532). He was added to the 40-man roster in November and continued to hit well in winter ball for Caracas in the Venezuelan League. Brown's best attribute is his low-maintenance swing, as he's one of the better contact hitters in the organization. He has a tendency to chase high fastballs, though a shift in his hand placement and hand position holding the bat helped keep him on top of the ball more. He used his lower half more in his swing this year and sacrificed some on-base ability for more power, though he projects to have only average pop. A below-average runner, Brown isn't the best athlete and is a subpar defensive first baseman. He also spent time with Columbus in left field and played there primarily in Venezuela. Brown will have the chance to compete for a job in Cleveland in spring training, though with the talent ahead of him, he seems likely head back to Triple-A.
After winning MVP awards in the Carolina and Eastern leagues during his first two full pro seasons, Brown couldn't replicate that success in Triple-A in 2008. The Indians think he might have been pressing because he was so close to the majors, and he deviated from his normally disciplined approach and chased more pitches outside of the strike zone. Brown is at his best when he uses a short swing, works counts and sprays line drives to all fields. His average bat speed isn't conducive to hitting for power and he has less pop than most big league first basemen. He may have been trying too hard to hit homers so he could earn his first callup to Cleveland. He still made consistent contact, but he didn't square up as many balls and his stroke got long at times. Brown is a below-average runner, and an attempt to play him in left field in 2006 didn't work out well. His defense at first base did improve last year, as he continued to show good hands and reactions while improving his footwork. Brown needs to get back to his patient approach in Triple-A this year.
Often compared to Wally Joyner in college for his aggressive approach and fluid stroke from the left side, Brown has improved his stock by winning back-to-back league MVP awards in the high Class A Carolina and the Eastern leagues the past two seasons. He led the CL with 87 RBIs in 2006 and the EL with a .333 batting average in 2007. Brown uses the whole field with a compact, line-drive swing and he wears out the opposite field. His bat speed is just average, but it plays up because of outstanding plate discipline and pitch recognition. He has good instincts on the bases and stole 11 bases in 13 attempts last year. He's an average defender at first base with good footwork and reactions. The Indians praise his leadership skills. Brown played much of the second half of 2007 with knee problems and had minor arthroscopic surgery in September. He's a below-average runner, which is why he returned to first base after playing left field in 2006. Brown profiles as a first baseman in the mold of Sean Casey or Lyle Overbay. With Ryan Garko's emergence in Cleveland, he'll likely play all of 2008 in Triple-A.
Brown went undrafted in high school but improved his stock each season at Arizona, drawing comparisons to Wally Joyner for his aggressive approach and solid lefthanded bat. He finished third in the 2004 Cape Cod League batting race at .318, and led the Pacific-10 Conference with 80 RBIs in 2005, when the Indians made him a fourth-round pick. He played in the Kinston outfield with former Wildcats teammate Trevor Crowe in 2006 and came into his own after Crowe left for Double-A. Brown batted .316 with eight homers over the final two months en route to leading the Carolina League in RBIs and total bases (222) and winning MVP honors. He has plenty of natural strength, though he doesn't hit for a corresponding amount of power because he has just average bat speed and gets too pull conscious. He's very disciplined and may wind up hitting for average, getting on base and providing doubles rather than becoming a true home run threat. More of a first baseman in college, Brown has earned kudos from the Indians for moving to left field and doing an adequate job there. His speed is below-average and his arm is ordinary, but he manages to get the job done. Brown may not have the home run power teams want in a left fielder, so he projects as more of a reserve at this point. He'll move up to Double-A in 2007.
Minor League Top Prospects
Brown outshined higher-profile Akron teammate Trevor Crowe, who was also his teammate at Arizona. He won the EL batting title (.333) and led in hits (161) while showing gap power and offensive savvy. While Brown played some left field, he fits better defensively at first base. He shows good hands there and picks balls out of the dirt well, though he needs work on his range, reactions and game situations. He doesn't fit the classic first-base profile, but his plate discipline and hitting ability will get him to the major leagues. "He's an everyday player for me, maybe first division, maybe second division, but he can really play and can really hit," one of the AL scouts said. "His swing reminds me some of Sean Casey. It's one of the better swings in the league. He's kind of a poor man's Lance Berkman, not that kind of power but that kind of feel for the barrel of the bat."
Best Tools List
Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Cleveland Guardians in 2008
Rated Best Hitter for Average in the Cleveland Guardians in 2008
Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Eastern League in 2007
Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Eastern League in 2007
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