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Cubs Announce Fifth Starting Pitcher

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated Mar 25, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Ben Brown has been announced as the fifth starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old was off to a strong rookie season in 2024 before a neck injury derailed his Summer. Now, he will have another opportunity to solidify his role in the rotation.

The update comes from Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.

Since Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd entered Spring Training with guaranteed jobs, there was only one available spot remaining. Brown’s competition, Colin Rea, will handle long-relief duties to start the season.

This is an encouraging move from the Cubs front office and staff as they have gone with the young, ceiling play in Brown over the high-floor veteran in Rea.

Another pitcher vying for starts, Javier Assad, will begin the year on the injured list as he nurses an oblique strain.

Brown most recently saw action in the Cubs’ first game in Tokyo against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He relieved Imanaga for the fifth inning and allowed three runs (two earned), four hits, three walks, and had five strikeouts over two and 2/3 innings.

However, expect more performances reminiscent of his 2024 campaign rather than that disaster in Japan.

Brown was excellent in the first half of ’24 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts through 55 and 1/3 innings. He slings a hard fastball and has a vicious knuckle curve, but he will need to improve his third pitch changeup to sustain success in this league. Starting pitchers simply cannot survive on a two-pitch arsenal.

A Brown breakout season would do wonders for the club and he could be a major piece during their pursuit of an NL Central title.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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