Ben Brown has quietly become one of the sharper arms in the game over the last two weeks, and Wednesday gave the latest example. He came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning and escaped with only one unearned run allowed, another scoreless-looking rescue in a stretch that has tilted in his favor against even high-end relievers.
Over his last 14 innings, Brown has allowed one earned run and struck out 11. That run of work has been better than Mason Miller’s over the last seven innings, when Miller struck out nine and allowed two earned runs. Craig Counsell did not bury the lede when asked about Brown’s form. He said Brown has taken a step forward and has delivered every time out.
The change is showing up in the numbers and in the way hitters are being forced to attack him. Brown’s fastball velocity is up. He is getting more grounders and allowing fewer home runs. He has also added a sinker, and the pitch mix has changed enough that right-handed and left-handed hitters are seeing different versions of him. Against righties, Brown is throwing 43% sinkers, 39% curves and 19% four-seam fastballs. Against lefties, he is at 58% fastballs, 32% curves, 9% changeups and one sinker.
That matters because last season left-handed hitters slashed.288/.344/.540 against Brown, and 13 of his 18 home runs came against them. This season, lefties are batting.206/.282/.235 with a.244 wOBA and no home runs against him. Right-handed hitters are at.213/.255/.298 with a.249 wOBA and one homer. For Brown, the shift has not just been about better results. It has been about becoming less vulnerable to the splits that once defined him.
Counsell framed it as a pitcher finding a better version of himself, and the manager sounded almost relieved by the consistency. “He’s delivered every time out,” he said. “It’s been fun to watch. Fun to watch. And I think he’s gaining confidence. I think you see it, right?” Brown’s recent stretch suggests the answer is yes, and the next test is whether the new mix holds when opponents get a longer look at it.