Right-hander Ben Brown has appeared in 11 games this season, all in relief and all for more than one inning. It’s the timing of his appearances that have varied. He has entered games anywhere from the fourth inning to the eighth.
But he began entering in the eighth only recently. He earned his second career save Saturday, throwing two innings in a 2-0 victory over the Diamondbacks. On Wednesday, he entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth and allowed just one run before getting the first two outs in the ninth of a 5-4 victory over the Padres.
Brown’s ERA has plummeted from 5.40 after his first appearance March 26 to 1.82. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 8.
So for what part of the game is he best-suited?
“It suits me whatever position I’m in, I’m thankful for it,” Brown told the Sun-Times on Sunday. “I think the long-term goal is to get back in the rotation. But for right now, I’m super happy where I am.”
Brown hasn’t started since July 27, 2025, when he allowed one run in five innings with four strikeouts in the Cubs’ 5-4 victory against the White Sox. It was his last of 15 starts that season, one in which he still was trying to figure things out. He finished with a 5.92 ERA in 106⅓ innings and made just one playoff appearance (two innings) for the pitching-starved Cubs.
Now he’s excelling in critical, late-game spots — just in time for closer Daniel Palencia to return. So maybe Brown really is best-suited for wherever manager Craig Cousell uses him, although that isn’t expected to include starting anytime soon, barring injury. He appears to have learned from his struggles.
“Those steps to me are the result of failure,” Counsell said. “It’s a cliche, but in sports, the best part is that you learn from failing. That’s as much as anything what’s happening. He’s made some improvements how he processes things in the moment, most importantly, so that you’re back on track instead of [after] five pitch
