Inside The Numbers Of Ben Brown's Breakout With The Cubs

The Ben Brown breakout is finally here. 

And no one saw it coming. 

Just last year, Brown really struggled as a starter. He had a 6.30 ERA and a 23.8% strikeout rate across his 15 starts and didn’t seem to be cut out for that starter role. The right-hander allowed at least five earned runs in six of those 15 outings. 

Those poor numbers are why the Chicago Cubs decided to put Brown in the bullpen to begin the 2026 season. His stuff appeared to play better there, and the Cubs couldn’t risk sending him out every fifth day as a starter just to get rocked. 

But something has changed for Brown this year. 

Brown has been the Cubs’ most valuable pitcher to start the season. He was dominant as a reliever in his first 12 appearances (2.10 ERA) and has been on an unreal stretch as a starter since taking Matthew Boyd’s spot in the rotation on May 8. 

These are Brown’s game logs since entering the rotation in early May: 

May 8: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

May 14: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

May 19: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

May 25: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

May 30: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

June 6: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Brown has an impressive 1.44 ERA across 31 ⅓ innings pitched since moving to the rotation. That 1.44 ERA since May 8 is the sixth-lowest in baseball, only behind Jacob Misiorowski (0.23 ERA), Christopher Sanchez (0.24 ERA), Shohei Ohtani (0.37 ERA), Kyle Harrison (0.90 ERA), and Bryce Miller (1.33 ERA).

So, what’s been the key for Brown in Year 3? What has led to his breakout after last year’s struggles? 

The short answer is that adding a fourth pitcher has really allowed Brown to take that next step. The Cubs right-hander added a sinker this offseason to complement his four-seam fastball, knuckle curve, and changeup. 

A big problem for Brown last year, especially as a starter, was that he really only had two pitches to throw against righties (four-seam fastball and knuckle curve). Well, if you’re a hitter seeing a pitcher for the second or third time, it’s pretty easy to guess what might be coming. 

Brown desperately needed that third pitch against righties. Developing that sinker in the offseason was the best thing that could have happened for him because it has turned him into a more dangerous pitcher on the mound. 

Righties slashed .272/.324/.404 with five home runs, 10 doubles, and three triples in 257 plate appearances in 2025. This year, righties have a .138/.188/.181 slash line with one home run, one double, and 24 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances. 

Brown’s most thrown pitch against righties this season has been the sinker (136). He has a 14.9% whiff rate on it, and the addition of that sinker has turned his knuckle curve into a bigger weapon. Both the whiff rate (47.4%) and the putaway rate (29.6%) on that curve are up several percentage points from last year.  

The 26-year-old has really taken his game to the next level. He’s allowing fewer barrels (6.9%), continues to miss bats at a high clip (28.2% whiff rate), and his Pitching Run Value (15) ranks in the 98th percentile on Baseball Savant. 

If Brown continues to pitch like this, there’s a chance he could earn his first All-Star selection.