MESA, Ariz. — Ben Brown’s season did not end how he envisioned.
A year trending toward earning his first big-league call-up to the Chicago Cubs in the final weeks was dashed when he suffered a left oblique/lat injury that sidelined him for all of August. When he returned, it came in a relief role because of the limited window to build up, featuring mixed results in the one- to two-inning outings.
After recording a 0.45 ERA in four starts at Double-A Tennessee to begin the season, Brown posted a 5.33 ERA in 22 games (15 starts) at Triple-A Iowa with most of his struggles coming in his final 13 appearances (7.58 ERA).
“I took a lot of responsibility for what went wrong last year, and I think that’s a good thing,” Brown told the Tribune. “You’ve got to be accountable to your mistakes and then that’s how you grow from them.
“Looking back to last year I know that I was for the first few months of the year, no matter what anybody or anything might say, I knew I was the best pitcher in minor-league baseball. And there’s nothing to hide that and that’s really encouraging.”
An end-of-year meeting in which he received feedback from the organization helped Brown feel reassured about how he needed to get back on track. The Cubs believed his inconsistencies, particularly with his command, were fixable and they still saw an ability to help the big-league club in 2024. But it would require ample offseason work. The corrections focused on two areas: getting his legs properly engaged through his delivery and ditching the sweeper he had spent the previous offseason developing.
All of it tied to the mental side of his game.
“My performances were affecting everything,” Brown said. “I wasn’t able to sleep at night if I didn’t pitch well or if I was nervous for the next day. Or if I pitched well, I was so happy I’d forget to focus on getting ready for my next start. I struggled with success. I struggled with failure. I just want to do the same day every single day so I can have that mental capacity to make 30 starts in the big leagues one day.”
Brown’s adjustments were on display in two shutout innings in his Cactus League debut Saturday, allowing two hits with one walk and one strikeout. The 6-foot-6 righty’s fastball sat at 96 mph and touched 98 in the Cubs’ 8-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. He focused on his three-pitch repertoire, mixing in his fastball, curveball and changeup.
By dropping his slider, Brown expects his curveball to be in the zone a lot more. Brown said the slider will stay in his back pocket in case he ever needs it, but he believes he will take a step forward in his development by replacing the pitch with his curveball to righties.
Photos: Inside Cubs spring training camp
“That’s what it comes down is my in-zone conviction with the breaking ball, a curveball,” Brown said. “And I get more in-zone swing and miss with my curveball that I did on my slider last year; my in-zone swing and miss with my curveball is really high so everything can translate to it.”
Brown spent his offseason working out at the Cubs complex in Arizona. Most of his pitching-related work centered on his lower half. “I don’t know if we’re supposed to give away secrets,” Brown smiled before revealing that a core velocity belt became his offseason best friend. The belt made sure he was getting into his leg lift and staying on his right heel a little longer.
Brown’s pitch data from 2023 showed he was too “toe-y” and wasn’t properly engaging his lower half. He spent almost every offseason day over a 4½-month stretch doing something on the mound.
“I’ve already went through that awkward phase early, there was a point in time where I felt more comfortable off the mound than I did throwing on flat ground,” Brown said. “That was really cool. I’ve never experienced that before. Usually it’s the other way around where it’s like, I can throw really well playing catch and then getting off the mound I have no idea what I’m doing, so it’s been the opposite. I feel confident.”
Brown, who is on the 40-man roster, is likely a long shot to make the opening-day roster unless the Cubs believe he can be reliable in a relief role. He should help the Cubs at some point this season, whether as a starter or out of the bullpen, as long as he stays healthy.
“I definitely have lofty goals I shouldn’t say it out loud, but I’m going to be ready to go when they call my name,” Brown said. “If I get the opportunity to pitch in the Show, I mean, that would be a dream come true, and I’m going to dominate that opportunity. I just hope I get a chance.”