Skip to main content

GCL hurler Brown dazzles with 16 strike out effort

What a day it was for Ben Brown. The right-handed pitcher showed why he’s considered a standout on the Gulf Coast League Phillies West team in a 5-0 victory over the Tigers East team on Tuesday afternoon in Lakeland, FL.  In six innings of work, the 18-year-old Brown looked dominant, holding the opposition to two singles and a walk while recording 16 strike outs.

“Ben Brown to me has been my most consistent starter,” said GCL West pitching coach Matt Hockenberry. “He has been a guy that he’s a leader on the field. He gets outs. He gets quick outs. He pitches to contact. He’s just a guy that’s going to be exciting to watch in the future.”

Contact wasn’t truly on the docket for Brown on Tuesday, though, as he missed a ton of bats. 

The Phillies’ 33rd round draft selection last June, Brown sports a 3-0 record with a 1.80 ERA and a .193 batting average against and a 13.5 K/9 mark in six appearances (five starts) for the GCL West team.

Brown, whose repertoire features a (usually) 92-94 MPH fastball, a curve ball and a change up, recalls having similarly strong outings in high school, but doesn't think whiffing opponents was his claim to fame before today.

"Since I got down here, the strike outs haven't really been there," Brown stated.  "Of course, the hitters are better (here) than on Long Island, NY.  But, you learn how to read swings a little bit better, the more you're down here, and eventually, like how I was pitching today, I was able to get some reads on the swings and I was able to put you away."

As remarkable as his stat line seems, the humble Brown refrains from taking much credit, dishing nods to Hockenberry as well as his battery mate Logan O'Hoppe.  He acknowledges the backstop for calling a good game and sticking with their game plan.  The coach receives accolades for countless aspects of the young pitcher's development and progress.

The props go both ways, however.

O’Hoppe, the Phils’ 23rd round draft pick this year, is having a remarkable campaign as well.  He's batting .500 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and eight RBI through 15 contests.  He credits his roommate and fellow Long Island, NY native, Brown, with helping him stay focused.

“Ben’s helped me a lot. If I needed to talk about home of anything I could talk to him and he, obviously, would understand ‘cause we’re from 10 minutes away from each other at home,” O’Hoppe said. “He helped me a lot with keeping my head on straight with my work down here and not missing home too much.”

It’s been a noteworthy year to date for the six-foot-six 210-pound Brown.  During extended spring training, prior to the GCL regular season getting started, Brown made an appearance in an intra-squad exhibition and faced big league infielder J.P. Crawford, while the Phils’ 1st round pick from 2013 was rehabbing an injury. Brown was tagged for a home run and a walk by the nearly five years elder Crawford, but Brown also struck him out and views the experience as a significant learning experience on his road to bigger things on the baseball diamond.

"It's a blessing to face guys like that, because it's ultimately how you get better at pitching is learning how to pitch against those big guys," Brown said.  "That's eventually your goal is to pitch against those guys everyday."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from

2022 Phillies Top Prospects Countdown: #24 RHP Cristian Hernandez

Venezuelan born right-hander Cristian Hernandez has begun to earn recognition as one of the Phillies most promising pitching prospects. Signed as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a reported $120,000, Hernandez got his professional career started the following summer as a starter for the Phillies' Red Dominican Summer League club.  There, in 13 starts, Hernandez tallied a 2-3 record with 2.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP as well as a 7.0 K/9 mark. An injury sidelined Hernandez in 2019 and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. In 2021, Hernandez saw his first regular season action in the United States, starting his season in Florida Complex League.  After two appearances there, the six-foot-three 185-pounder was promoted to the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  In 20 combined outings (17 starts), Hernandez notched a 2-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, a .228 batting average against and an 11.2 K/9 mark. Projectability is something that baseball folks like about Hernandez.  His size, consistent

Who is Your Favorite Willie 'Mays' Hayes?

PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle