Before the 2020 season began I wrote a series of articles on select minor league players of interest. Now that 2021 Spring Training is seemingly upon us I thought I’d revisit highlighting a few of the fellas.
Here’s part three of the series ... RHP Ben Brown. If you missed the first two articles ( LHP Jeff Singer & LHP Bailey Falter ) here are links
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Drafted 33rd Round - 2017 Draft - Ward Melville HS - NY - now 21 years old
Ben was dominant at Lakewood in his four games there in 2019 as a 19 year old ... he threw 13 innings allowing no runs while striking out 20 batters and walking just three. However his year was cut short by injury and he was placed on the IL on 5/16/19 and underwent TJ surgery shortly thereafter.
He’s now fully recovered and pitched very effectively in 2020 Fall Instructs which marked his game action return to the mound. He’s 6’6” 220 and has a four pitch arsenal ( FB, Curve, Slider and Changeup ) with the heater sitting generally in the 91-93 range but showing in the mid 90’s ... in this observer’s view he has the ability to sit mid nineties and add even more velocity given his athleticism and makeup. He pitches with compact mechanics and his fastball is lively with late action ... a lot of sink and seems heavy ... breaks a lot of bats 😳
Ben drew a lot of folks attention when he struck out 16 batters in six innings on 7/24/16 in a Gulf Coast League game. That season he struck out 62 batters in 49 IP which was second best in the league. He’s an intense competitor, in fact it’s evident that he loves playing baseball by how he approaches each hitter. This young man has the “it” factor of wanting challenge so that he can excel.
He also gets my vote as one of the best teammates in the organization, always welcoming to new players, cheering for others and is well regarded by all. He’s blessed with an open spirit and personality, even speaks spanish which expands his ability to communicate with teammates. The young man is a diligent worker ... he seemingly was ready to get back on the hill just months after the TJ surgery, great energy! I haven’t met anyone who knows Ben that doesn’t say good things about him ... very easy fella to root for.
With a continued focus on improving his secondary pitches and adding strength Ben is ready to get back into league action. He intends to be in Florida early again this spring ( for the past few years Ben has participated in the Clearwater Co-Op program they established with the Phillies). While the Co-Op program isn’t in place this year due to Covid he’s still intent on coming to the Tampa area to privately workout in the warmer climate.
A power arm in the making, hopefully he’s able to open with either Clearwater or Lakewood this season ... we believe it’s just the first step back towards earning a big league future.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️