The Next Step For Ben Brown

Ben Brown is in his second year as a pitcher for the Cubs. While he has spent most of his time as a starter, he has also spent periods in the bullpen. Brown was acquired from the Phillies’ farm system by way of trade in 2022. Since making his first Major League appearance in 2024, he has been extremely underwhelming for Chicago.

The Next Step For Ben Brown

Ben Brown’s Subpar Pitching

Ben Brown’s 2025 season so far has been nothing short of forgettable. He has pitched in 14 games with 12 starts and currently holds a 5.71 ERA. Along with his -5 pitching run value, he has not been what the Cubs expected going into the year, especially after a 3.58 ERA through 15 appearances in 2024. Due to the Cubs’ limited starting pitcher options and injuries to Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, Brown was the next best option. But, with the Cubs getting Imanaga back in the next few weeks, and possibly targeting a new starter before the trade deadline, a change may be in store for Brown.

While the ERA and other numbers haven’t been there for him, there have been some positives. His whiff% and K% have been in the upper 70th percentiles this year. Additionally, he has received 7.33 runs/game from the Cubs this year in his starts. This ranks second among all pitchers with at least 10 starts. So, while it hasn’t been all bad, what is a good next step for Ben Brown?

The Next Step

While one option for Brown could be sending him down to Triple-A Iowa, the best course of action for him would be moving him to the bullpen. This move would suit him the best for a number of reasons. First off, Brown carries mainly a two-pitch mix. He throws his 4-seam fastball 57% of the time and his knuckle-curve 39% of the time. The only other pitch he throws is a circle-changeup which has only been thrown 4% of the time. Because of this, he is clearly better fit for the bullpen. It is really hard for a starting pitcher to survive with only a 2 pitch mix. They just become too easy to hit as the game goes on. Coming out of the bullpen for only 1 or 2 innings a game fits his arsenal much better. He proved this last year coming out of the bullpen for half of his games and he had a much lower ERA than this year.

Another reason a move to the bullpen would benefit the Cubs is the possible changes to their starting rotation. With Shota Imanaga coming back from injury soon, one pitcher will have to go. On top of that, the Cubs have been without an LRP ever since Colin Rea was moved to the starting rotation. And with Rea pitching well recently, he is showing no signs of going back to the bullpen. All of these reasons give Brown a great opportunity. While he struggles as a starter, the bullpen fits him much better. He would also round off the Cubs’ bullpen giving them a solid LRP. Due to all of these factors, the best fit for Ben Brown, and the Cubs as a whole would be a move to the bullpen.