At times, Ben Brown looks like an impact starter with his high-octane four-seam fastball and wipeout breaking ball. He’s been held back by lacking an effective third pitch, especially against lefties. This spring, it appears that the Chicago Cubs’ right-hander may have found an answer.
Much of Brown’s past struggles can be traced to his limited pitch mix. His .323 career BABIP allowed and 12.9% home-run-to-fly-ball rate may stem from being mainly a two-pitch pitcher. Allowing a .351 wOBA to lefties, compared to .291 to righties, shows the need for a third offering, particularly one that runs away from the former.
After several years of wondering whether Ben Brown would add that third offering, it appears he’s finally done it. He debuted a sinker this spring, and it might be just what he needs to take the next step. It’s a legitimately different option to turn to, with six more inches of horizontal break than his four-seamer.
Two starts ago, the sinker was Brown’s most used pitch. He used it comfortably against hitters on both sides. In his last start, he threw the sinker only to lefties, who have often overmatched him. The pitch posted a 33.3% whiff rate and allowed only weak contact.
Sinkers are not traditionally the go-to option when it comes to retiring opposite-handed hitters in the MLB. For that reason, many had hoped Brown would integrate a change or a splitter into his repertoire, which is typically a great equalizer. That being said, sinkers performing better against same-handed hitters is not a universal truth in baseball. Plenty of pitchers have found great success with this strategy.
Even though the sample size is small, it’s hard not to be encouraged with this new pitch, especially with how it was used and how it performed in Brown’s last start. If the sinker becomes an effective answer against left-handed hitters, the sky is the limit. The velocity and break are both flashing plus tendencies, and the pitch works tremendously off his best pitch, the knuckle curve.
The Cubs boast ample starting pitching options. Ben Brown may have to wait for another rotation opportunity, as his remaining option allows the team to send him to Triple-A, but a return shouldn’t be out of the question. His dominant arsenal finally has a complement, and after years of showing promise, Brown might be poised to put everything together.