Ben Brown unveils a potent new sinker, potentially locking down a coveted Cubs bullpen spot with his dominant velocity and rediscovered effectiveness.
The Chicago Cubs' bullpen is mostly complete for the 2026 season.
The team has seven relievers who are virtual locks to make the Opening Day roster. Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, Hunter Harvey, Caleb Thielbar, Daniel Palencia, and Colin Rea will all almost certainly make the team out of camp.
That leaves just one bullpen spot up for grabs heading into the year.
Pitchers like Javier Assad, Gavin Hollowell, Jack Neely, Ryan Rolison, and Ethan Roberts are among the bunch that appear to be fighting for that final bullpen spot. Those five relievers have all turned heads this spring.
Ben Brown should also be added to that group after looking sharp in his most recent relief appearance on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brown came in relief and struck out three batters over two scoreless innings.
It was a dominant outing for Brown, who displayed his new sinker for the first time this spring. He threw that sinker five times (all to right-handed batters), and the pitch topped out at 98.6 mph. The right-hander also induced one whiff and had two called strikes on that sinker in his relief appearance.
The biggest problem for Brown over the past two years was the fact that he was only a two-pitch pitcher. He leaned on his four-seam fastball/knuckle curve to get batters out. Those two pitches made it easy for opposing batters to sense what was coming.
But with Brown adding a new sinker this offseason, there’s a chance that could help the 26-year-old reach new heights. Being able to mix in a third pitch in his appearance on Saturday made him a more dangerous pitcher on the mound.
He induced six whiffs and struck out all three batters on his knuckle-curve in that game. Each of those strikeouts came after the right-hander pounded the zone with his fastball early in the count.
Saturday’s relief appearance was Brown’s best performance on the mound in quite some time. Although it came in a Spring Training game, the Cubs pitcher still faced hitters like Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez, and Max Muncy across his two innings of work.
The addition of his sinker makes him a more well-rounded pitcher. He needed to add a third pitch this offseason and did exactly that. His sinker averaged 97.8 mph in Saturday’s Spring Training game.
The Cubs will definitely be keeping a close eye on Brown over the next few weeks. The 26-year-old is firmly in the mix to make the Opening Day roster and could earn that final bullpen spot out of camp.
It all depends on how Brown performs the rest of the month. His new sinker, though, gives him a lot more potential on the mound.