By Chris Douthat
It seems we’ve been hearing Domonic Brown’s name throughout trade talk for years now. And for good reason. Brown, the pride and joy of Philadelphia’s farm system, posseses all five tools that has teams drooling with envy. Had it not been for an unfortunate injury to the hand, Brown would have been the Phillies opening day right fielder. Instead, the Phillies will have to wait until the end of April for the Brown-era to begin.
 |
| Add caption |
A 20th round draft pick in 2006, Brown has worked his way up the minor league ladder, improving everywhere he goes. His 2010 season in particular had people talking. Hitting .327 with 20 HR and 22 doubles, Brown punished the opposing team’s pitching before earning a mid-season call-up to the majors after Shane Victorino went down with an injury. Though he struggled (batted .210 over 35 games), the Phillies are still incredibly excited. Remember, this is the same player they refused to trade for both Cliff Lee AND Roy Halladay.
In terms of areas of improvement, you’d like to see him become more patient at the plate. Over 128 games last year (split between AA, AAA, and MLB), Brown walked only 42 times. With his speed (19 stolen bases in 2010), being able to get on base more would greatly improve the Phillies already potent lineup.
Unless Ben Francisco starts tearing it up, expect Brown to be in the starting lineup as soon as he returns from surgery. Philly fans have been waiting long enough; it’s time to see what this kid can do. And if his minor league record is an indication of what’s to come, then those hoping for Philadelphia’s reign of dominance to end are going to be very disappointed.
No comments:
Post a Comment