Ben Brown's biggest weapon is incredibly deadly

On Tuesday night, Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Ben Brown was excellent against the Milwaukee Brewers. After 93 legendary pitches, Brown divided the Brewers to the tune of ten strikeouts and no hits allowed in seven innings. Manager Craig Counsell elected to remove him from the game as his pitch count was the highest of his career. The Cubs bullpen lost the no-hitter bid, but the offense rallied late to win in extras.

So how good was Brown on Tuesday? Historically good. He joined Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes as only two pitchers in baseball's modern era to strike out ten without allowing a hit or a run in a game during their first season in MLB. You'll recall that Skenes torched the Cubs at Wrigley just two weeks ago and was also pulled before he could attempt to finish the game without a hit.

Brown has been sensational and versatile for the Cubs so far in 2024. His call-up came earlier than expected after ace Justin Steele was placed on injured reserve after just one start. After a rough start, he became a vital part of the Cubs' pitching staff.

Brown played in 13 games this season for the Cubs, starting in six of them. In 46.1 innings, including last night's gem, Brown's ERA has fallen to 2.72. He's only allowed two home runs and hitters are hitting just .195 from him.

If these numbers continue, Brown will receive All-Star consideration. He forces hitters to give him outs. And even if his entire arsenal is more than effective, Brown has a particular weapon that gives opposing hitters a hard time.

Ben Brown's Curveball Is the Best in Baseball

When you have a breaking ball that you can place virtually anywhere you want, you'll have hitters biting into the palm of your hand. That's exactly what Ben Brown can do with his curveball. 39 of his 55 strikeouts came thanks to him. Hitters just can't hit him.

According to Statcast, opposing hitters are averaging just .120 against Brown's curveball. They swing and miss more than half the time. The most effective placement is down and outside against righties and down and inside against lefties. Just outside the strike zone in this corner, hitters swing and miss an incredible 77% of the time.

When Brown arrived in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, scouts and potential fans became increasingly excited about the potential upside of his game. Here, three years later, we reap the rewards of everything we hoped for.

The Cubs have another young prospect, Cade Horton, who is expected to make his MLB debut this summer. Brown is going to make it difficult for the Cubs to give up his spot on this team to anyone, including Horton. Whether Brown becomes a key piece of the bullpen or a fixture in an increasingly effective rotation, the Cubs are poised for a long run of great pitching with him as the anchor.