Ben Brown

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #9 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Brown has impressed when he’s been on the mound but struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He fell to the Phillies in the 33rd round of the 2017 draft because of a burst appendix and pitched just 100 innings in his first four seasons due to Tommy John surgery, an elbow strain and a stint on the Covid-19 injured list. He finally stayed healthy in 2022 and had a breakout season, leading the Cubs to acquire him from the Phillies for David Robertson at the trade deadline. Brown climbed quickly to Triple-A Iowa in 2023 and was on the verge of a midseason callup, but he suffered a lat injury in late July and missed a month. He shifted to the bullpen when he returned and walked 10 batters in his final seven innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Brown is a tall, 6-foot-6 righthander with formidable stuff. His fastball sits 94-97 mph with late run and gets swings and misses when located. His primary secondary pitch is a mid-80s power curveball with hard, downer action that gets swings and misses both in and out of the zone. Brown tweaked his slider to give it more sweep last year, and it has the potential to be an above-average pitch as he improves its usage. His firm, upper-80s changeup is well below-average and rarely thrown. Brown has flashed average control, but it regressed to below-average last season. He’s inconsistent with his fastball command in particular. Brown has pitched more than 100 innings only once in six professional seasons and must prove he has the durability to start.
  
  The Future: Brown has the stuff to be a No. 4 starter, but his injury history and inconsistent command point to a possible bullpen future. The Cubs remain hopeful he can start and plan to have him back in Triple-A Iowa’s rotation when the 2024 season begins.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: A product of the same high school that produced lefthanders Steven Matz and Anthony Kay, Brown signed with the Phillies for $60,000 as a 33rd-round pick in 2017 and would have been drafted higher if not for a burst appendix that caused him to miss the summer showcase circuit. He then had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and made just seven appearances in 2021 due to an elbow injury and a stint on the Covid-related injured list. Brown finally stayed healthy in 2022 and had a breakout season at High-A Jersey Shore, leading the Cubs to acquire him for closer David Robertson at the trade deadline. Brown rose to Double-A Tennessee after the trade and finished the year ranked eighth in the minors with a strikeout rate of 12.9 per nine innings among pitchers with at least 100 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Brown is an imposing 6-foot-6 righthander who keeps growing into more stuff. His fastball topped out at 92 mph in high school but now sits 94-97 with late ride and run to generate swings and misses in the strike zone. His primary secondary pitch is a plus mid-80s power curveball with biting downward action that he can land for strikes or bury for chase swings below the zone. Brown also has a short power slider in the 87-91 mph range that is an above-average offering. His rarely-used changeup is well below-average pitch and needs further development to help him better handle lefthanded hitters. Brown is an extremely confident pitcher who aggressively goes after hitters. He pounds the strike zone with average control and is efficient with his pitch counts.
  
  The Future: Brown has a chance to be a hard-throwing No. 3 or 4 starter if he can stay healthy. If not, he has the stuff and mentality to be an impact reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 50

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: A product of the same high school that produced lefthanders Steven Matz and Anthony Kay, Brown signed with the Phillies for $60,000 as a 33rd-round pick in 2017 and would have been drafted higher if not for a burst appendix that caused him to miss the summer showcase circuit. He then had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and made just seven appearances in 2021 due to an elbow injury and a stint on the Covid-related injured list. Brown finally stayed healthy in 2022 and had a breakout season at High-A Jersey Shore, leading the Cubs to acquire him for closer David Robertson at the trade deadline. Brown rose to Double-A Tennessee after the trade and finished the year ranked eighth in the minors with a strikeout rate of 12.9 per nine innings among pitchers with at least 100 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Brown is an imposing 6-foot-6 righthander who keeps growing into more stuff. His fastball topped out at 92 mph in high school but now sits 94-97 with late ride and run to generate swings and misses in the strike zone. His primary secondary pitch is a plus mid-80s power curveball with biting downward action that he can land for strikes or bury for chase swings below the zone. Brown also has a short power slider in the 87-91 mph range that is an above-average offering. His rarely-used changeup is well below-average pitch and needs further development to help him better handle lefthanded hitters. Brown is an extremely confident pitcher who aggressively goes after hitters. He pounds the strike zone with average control and is efficient with his pitch counts.
  
  The Future: Brown has a chance to be a hard-throwing No. 3 or 4 starter if he can stay healthy. If not, he has the stuff and mentality to be an impact reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: A product of the same high school that produced lefthanders Steven Matz and Anthony Kay, Brown signed with the Phillies for $60,000 as a 33rd-round pick in 2017 and would have been drafted higher if not for a burst appendix that caused him to miss the summer showcase circuit. He then had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and made just seven appearances in 2021 due to an elbow injury and a stint on the Covid-related injured list. Brown finally stayed healthy in 2022 and had a breakout season at High-A Jersey Shore, leading the Cubs to acquire him for closer David Robertson at the trade deadline. Brown rose to Double-A Tennessee after the trade and finished the year ranked eighth in the minors with a strikeout rate of 12.9 per nine innings among pitchers with at least 100 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Brown is an imposing 6-foot-6 righthander who keeps growing into more stuff. His fastball topped out at 92 mph in high school but now sits 94-97 with late ride and run to generate swings and misses in the strike zone. His primary secondary pitch is a plus mid-80s power curveball with biting downward action that he can land for strikes or bury for chase swings below the zone. Brown also has a short power slider in the 87-91 mph range that is an above-average offering. His rarely-used changeup is well below-average pitch and needs further development to help him better handle lefthanded hitters. Brown is an extremely confident pitcher who aggressively goes after hitters. He pounds the strike zone with average control and is efficient with his pitch counts.
  
  The Future: Brown has a chance to be a hard-throwing No. 3 or 4 starter if he can stay healthy. If not, he has the stuff and mentality to be an impact reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Midseason Update: The imposing 6-foot-6 righthander has stood out in a crowded Jersey Shore rotation thanks to a pair of fastballs—two-seamer and four-seamer—and a power slider that works as an out pitch. Brown&#39s fastball ranges from 94-97 mph, with the four-seamer currently ahead of the two-seamer. His slider is a hard-breaking 84-87 mph offering. He also throws a curveball that blends with his slider at times. Brown struggles to throw strikes, which could ultimately limit him to a reliever role, but he has the stuff to eventually be a high-leverage reliever if he ends up on that path. Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Curveball: 40. Control: 40.