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The Chicago Cubs entered spring training in February hoping to solidify their pitching rotation with a fifth starter. Justin Steele , Shota Imanaga , Jameson Taillon  and Matthew Boyd  were set to fill the top four spots for the team, so it would primarily be a matter of figuring out who emerged as starter No. 5. 

According to Steele, the Cubs already have someone on the staff who can more than carry the load. 

Talking to the North Side Territory podcast shortly before camp opened, Steele raved about the potential of right-hander Ben Brown . 

“The dude’s a horse,” Steele said. “The way he works out in the weight room and just the intensity of, like, his catch play and his Bullpen work, it’s impressive.” 

Ben Brown Had Impressive Rookie Season Before Neck Issue

Brown, 25, didn’t leave spring training with the Cubs last season, but they called him up for his Major League debut on March 30 after Steele was placed on the injured list, and Brown became a valuable player for manager Craig Counsell, starting eight games and appearing in 15 overall. Brown posted a 3.58 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 55.1 innings pitched but went on the injury list in late June with a neck issue that would plague him for the rest of the season . 

Brown would eventually be diagnosed with an osteoma, which is a new piece of bone growing as a benign tumor on another piece of bone. The only remedy is time, as Brown’s doctor assured him that osteomas eventually go away, usually in two or three months. 

Sure enough, by October, Brown noticed an immediate improvement. 

“I just woke up one morning, took a shower and it was just night and day,” he said. 

Steele said it was good to see Brown feeling good and throwing strong just before spring training opened, adding that he would not be surprised to see Brown become a leader of the rotation. 

“To see [Brown] being that spring chicken that he is, and doing the lifts, throwing with full effort and all that stuff, having that personality that he always had, you know, it’s just fun being around him,” Steele said. “Just watching him throw his bullpens, go through his work, you know the guy’s going to be a stud if he gets a full season under his belt.” 

Ben Brown Has Makeup, Abilities To Be ‘A Legit Ace’

Steele isn’t the only person who feels that way. In an interesting breakdown on X (formerly Twitter) , The Wrigley Wire gives a thought-provoking take on why Brown “could be a legit ace:” 

First off, let’s talk about 2024. Before a fluke neck injury ended his season, Ben Brown was dominant in his 55.1 innings: a 3.58 ERA & 3.11 FIP. That’s impressive in itself, but there’s more to the story. 

Exclude his first start where he surrendered 6 ER in 1.2 IP, and you get: 53.2 IP 2.68 ERA 0.99 WHIP 63 SO 10.6 K/9 30% K rate .191 Opp BA 2.79 FIP That’s a really impressive stretch out of a young pitcher. 

What stands out about that? His 30% strikeout rate. That’s elite for a starter, especially when you realize most of those Ks came via his “death ball” – the knuckle curve. 

(link to video of Brown’s knuckle curve included)  

Let’s break it down: – 44 of his 64 Ks came from that one pitch. – Batters hit just .141 against it. – They slugged .294. This pitch is absolutely filthy. It’s a game-changer, among the best of its kind. Oh, and he tosses his fastball in the upper 90s. 

But there’s more potential here: This spring, we’ve seen him flash a changeup. He did throw one in ‘24, but it was a rarity. If he can make that a serviceable pitch, it will make him even tougher to hit. Right now, he’s mostly a two-pitch guy. A third weapon? Scary. 

Of course, no pitcher is without their flaws. Brown ranked in the 1st, 5th, and 1st percentiles for Avg EV, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit%. So he got hit hard at times, and it wasn’t all smooth sailing. This suggests some luck in his performance. 

But even with those numbers, he was still highly effective. His raw stuff, combined with elite strikeouts and decent command, shows there’s real ace potential here. 

I’m not saying he’s an ace right now, but by the end of 2025? I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Ben Brown at the top of the rotation. His stuff is simply too good to ignore. 

Dave Benson Dave Benson is a longtime writer with over three decades of experience in a variety of mediums, including 15 years covering high school, collegiate and minor league sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent a few years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson