Dee Brown

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 2001
  The Royals have a good track record of spending first-round picks on University of Maryland-bound tailbacks. In 1974, they signed Willie Wilson. Twenty-two years later, they got Brown. After a breakthrough 1999, Brown regressed a bit in 2000 and was suspended for five games after an altercation with Triple-A Omaha manager John Mizerock. Brown hasn't met a fastball he can't crush. His bat is extremely quick and can drive the ball out of any part of any ballpark. In 1999, he hit for average and showed fine plate discipline. He also runs well enough to be a 30-30 threat. Brown was too aggressive at the plate in 2000, and his slugging (down 79 points) and on-base percentages (down 112) plummeted. He was extremely raw defensively when he signed, and he must work if he's to become an average left fielder with an average arm. Multiple Pacific Coast League managers didn't like Brown's attitude. Unless the Royals trade Johnny Damon, Brown doesn't have an opening for a regular big league job in 2001. If Damon leaves as a free agent after the season, Brown will replace him in left field.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #4 prospect in 1999
  Background: After almost winning the short-season Northwest League triple crown in 1997, Brown was named the Royals top prospect last winter. With other Royals prospects excelling in 1998, Brown's year was relatively overlooked. He recovered from a slow start, hitting over .300 in the final two months, to finish with respectable numbers. Strengths: With excellent strength and above-average speed, Brown could become a multidimensional offensive force in the middle of a lineup. Brown's defense, especially his throwing arm, continue to improve. Weaknesses: Brown still often looks like a great athlete attempting to play baseball rather than a baseball player with great athletic ability. He needs to develop more consistency with the bat and avoid the prolonged struggles he endured at both Wilmington and in the Maryland Fall League in 1998. The Future: The first half of 1998 was a reminder to the Royals that Brown, an All-American football player from upstate New York, had a limited baseball background prior to signing with the Royals and needs plenty of repetitions. He should start at Wichita in 1999.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #11 prospect in 2000
  The Royals already seem set in the outfield and at DH with Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye and Mark Quinn. Soon they’ll try to make room for Brown, another gifted young hitter in the seemingly endless supply developed by Kansas City in recent years. Brown has a quick bat that allows him to catch up to any fastball, and he can drive the ball out of any part of the ballpark. He’s also a fine athlete who was recruited to play running back at Maryland, just like former Royals all-star outfielder Willie Wilson. That said, Brown regressed from a stellar 1999 season split between high Class A and Double-A. He wasn’t as patient, chasing offspeed pitches out of the strike zone as his average dropped 62 points. He has improved as a left fielder but still has a ways to go, particularly with his arm strength. Several managers didn’t like his attitude, which cost him a suspension after a run-in with Omaha manager John Mizerock. "The only question on him is if someone can get him to play hard all the time," one manager said. "He doesn’t play hard and he’s moody."
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #2 prospect in 1999
  Brown overcame a disappointing 1998 campaign to regain his status as a future big league star. Managers selected him as the league's best power prospect and most exciting player. "Dee is one of those exciting players who can do a lot of things offensively," Wilmington manager Jeff Garber said. "He can hit for power and average and he can steal bases." Brown can run and hit for power, and he has shown improved accuracy on his throws from the outfield. He was back in Wilmington to work on being more consistent at the plate. He was promoted to Kansas City during the first week of September for the second consecutive summer. "He has extreme raw power and can drive the ball to all fields," Kinston manager Eric Wedge said. "He can be an impact player."
• 
  Ranked Texas League #2 prospect in 1999
  Brown didn't arrive until midseason, but his offensive approach reminded one manager of Ray Lankford, the Cardinals outfielder who was the TL's player of the year 10 years ago. Brown is a pure hitter, Wichita manager John Mizerock said. He has the potential for both power and average. "He has the quickest bat speed in the league," DeFrancesco said. "He has the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He's very selective for a kid." But Brown must improve defensively to become an all-around star. Managers said he needed to improve his jumps and refine the angles he takes to balls. They also weren't overly impressed with his arm.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #48 prospect in 2001
• Ranked Baseball America's #11 prospect in 2000
• Ranked Baseball America's #92 prospect in 1999
• Ranked Baseball America's #32 prospect in 1998

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  The Royals already seem set in the outfield and at DH with Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye and Mark Quinn. Soon they’ll try to make room for Brown, another gifted young hitter in the seemingly endless supply developed by Kansas City in recent years. Brown has a quick bat that allows him to catch up to any fastball, and he can drive the ball out of any part of the ballpark. He’s also a fine athlete who was recruited to play running back at Maryland, just like former Royals all-star outfielder Willie Wilson. That said, Brown regressed from a stellar 1999 season split between high Class A and Double-A. He wasn’t as patient, chasing offspeed pitches out of the strike zone as his average dropped 62 points. He has improved as a left fielder but still has a ways to go, particularly with his arm strength. Several managers didn’t like his attitude, which cost him a suspension after a run-in with Omaha manager John Mizerock. "The only question on him is if someone can get him to play hard all the time," one manager said. "He doesn’t play hard and he’s moody."