PBR Illinois Pitcher of the Week: Austin Brown
May 3, 2023
Chipola commit Austin Brown has been the definition of reliable for Triad so far this spring, and his last outing was no different, firing a seven inning complete-game with no runs allowed, 14 strikeouts and one walk. For his tremendous performance, Brown has been named this week’s Pitcher of the Week.
Brown faced off against a potent Mascoutah lineup and as mentioned above, shut them out over his seven innings of work, striking out 14 and finally allowing his first walk of the season. He has made another start since then, and he now boasts a perfect 6-0 record with 46 innings pitched, a 0.46 ERA, 0.48 WHIP, .115 OBA, 71 strikeouts and four walks.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 155-pounds, Brown isn’t exactly what you might picture when thinking of someone that limits walks to the extent he does, as long-limbed and taller pitchers usually take time to repeat their delivery and command the zone at times. This clearly doesn’t apply to Brown, as he boasts a 17.75 K/BB rate so far this spring. The right-hander can work his fastball up to 88 mph from a deceptive ¾ slot with much more in the tank. The separator for Brown is his ability to spin his breaking balls, as both his curveball and slider play with wipeout action and advanced feel in the 2,400-2,500 RPM range. The upside for Brown is through the roof, as he still has plenty of room to add on mass and strength, and it will be incredibly exciting to see how Brown can continue to develop over the next couple years.
Scouting Report
RHP Austin Brown (Triad, 2023) provided our staff with an upside look during our first up-close view of the 6-foot-5, 155-pound right-hander. Brown toed the rubber for three innings, pumping his fastball relatively easily at 84-87 mph early with 17.8 inches of vertical carry, topping at 20.4 with plenty more velocity to come. The separator for him, however, appears to be a true swing-and-miss slider with late sweeping action at 75-76 mph, averaging 2,587 RPM and breaching the 2,700+ RPM mark. Brown’s confidence and ability to spot his slider up to both handed hitters is noteworthy, and it’s certainly a pitch that’ll miss bats at the next level with consistency. Still uncommitted, Brown was one of the higher ceiling arms we saw at Rantoul this week.