Brooks Brown
| IP | 59 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.966 |
| WHIP | 1.237 |
| BB/9 | 3.203 |
| SO/9 | 6.254 |
- Full name Brooks Steven Brown
- Born 06/20/1985 in Statesboro, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Georgia
- Debut 05/22/2014
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Drafted in the C-A round (34th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006 (signed for $900,000).
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After two up-and-down seasons, pitching primarily in relief, things began to fall into place for Brown as a junior this spring. He was beginning to hit his stride as a freshman in 2004 when he unintentionally hit Georgia Tech's Wes Hodges in the face with a pitch. The accident unnerved Brown, and it seemed to affect his confidence. He made some subtle adjustments in his delivery last summer while pitching in the Cape Cod League, and established himself as the top prospect in the state this spring. Brown's athletic ability is his best asset. He has a sound delivery, working from a three-quarters arm angle, which he varies to high three-quarters at times. His fastball has nice downward plane and sits between 90-93 mph, touching 95. His curveball is an above-average offering, though it's inconsistent because he tends to get around it, especially later in outings. The improvement of his changeup has helped his success against lefties. Brown's stuff tends to taper off after the middle innings, but his feel for pitching allows him to start in college. He'll probably wind up near the back of a bullpen as a pro.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Stuck on the worst team in the Southern League, Brown persevered and was Mobile's most reliable starter throughout 2008, taking a 3.63 ERA into the final month of the season. But the wheels came off after that, as his 0-5, 6.75 August made for an ugly season line. He followed it with a 5.61 ERA in 26 Arizona Fall League innings. Most think he simply wore down, as he showed no sign of injury. Brown is a sinker/slider pitcher who shows a good feel for pitching and comes right at hitters, and some managers in the Southern League called his sinker one of the league's best. He throws it at 88-92 mph and must keep it down in the zone to be effective. His slider has two-plane break and can also be a plus pitch when he commands it effectively. His changeup is a fringe-average pitch and hasn't developed as hoped, leading some to suggest Brown take his two good pitches and go to the bullpen. His big frame and durability say starter, but his results at the end of 2008 suggest otherwise. The Diamondbacks will give him a shot in the Reno rotation, where sharpening his command and keeping his stuff down will be even more important. But he's likely to earn his first big league opportunity as a reliever. -
After getting a light workload in 2006 following a busy college season at Georgia that included a trip to the College World Series, Brown occupied what the Diamondbacks hope will be his professional role last season. He ate innings at two minor league stops to finish with 146 in his first full pro year. He's a sinker/slider pitcher who knows his game and usually pitches to his strengths. He shows plus stuff at times, but his fastball sat more frequently in the high 80s than the low 90s last season, and scouts also thought his slider was fringy at times. His changeup is an average pitch, though he'll need to improve his command of it. Brown's command of all three pitches was shakier in Double-A, but in general he shows a mature approach and a good idea of how to set up hitters. He throws from a three-quarters slot, creating a little bit of deception for hitters, and his strong frame and athletic ability mean he should be durable. In order to pitch in the middle or even the back of a big league rotation, however, he'll have to show more zip on his pitches and sharpen his command. Otherwise he looks more like a middle reliever. Brown will open the season back in Double-A. -
The second of 10 pitchers the Diamondbacks drafted in the first 10 rounds in 2006, Brown signed for $900,000 and got only limited work last summer after a heavy workload at Georgia. He was on low pitch counts and was used mostly in one- or two-inning stints. His Georgia career ended with a flourish after he adjusted his delivery in the Cape Cod League the summer before his junior season, and he helped the Bulldogs reach the College World Series with eight wins in 111 innings of work. Brown is a sinker/slider pitcher whose fastball has a nice downward plane and usually sits in the low 90s. His slider is above average at times, though he's not consistent enough with it, and his changeup has improved to be at least an average pitch. His athletic ability might be his greatest attribute, as he has good mechanics and should be durable. His stuff tended to fade during games in college, but the Diamondbacks will still try to use him as a starter because he has a good pitcher's frame and the potential for three legitimate major league pitches. He'll probably open the season in low Class A, though he could jump to high Class A with a good spring.
Minor League Top Prospects
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After pitching out of the bullpen in his 2006 pro debut, Brown jumped to high Class A and moved into the rotation, where his aggressive approach translated well. He earned a promotion to Double-A for the second half and held his own there. Brown's fastball clocks at 89-90 mph with good sink, and he complements it with a nice slider. He works well down in the strike zone and he surrendered just four homers in 146 innings between the two levels. He has a closer's mentality and could wind up as a late-inning reliever. -
A supplemental first-round pick who helped pitch Georgia to the College World Series, Brown was kept in the bullpen after pitching 111 innings in college. The Diamondbacks see Brown as a starter down the line, but some scouts believe he profiles better as a power reliever if he can keep his composure in tight spots. Brown has a solid sinker-slider repertoire but a history of inconsistency dating back to his freshman year for the Bulldogs. When he's right, he pumps 90-93 mph fastballs that touch 94-95 and have good downward movement, shows an above-average breaking ball and demonstrates good feel for his improving changeup. He's a good athlete and has a sound delivery from a three-quarters am slot. But NWL managers weren't impressed with his mound presence, citing a lack of poise and fluctuating control.
