Belinsky: Prospect profile, Dominic Brown
From SABR member Hudson Belinsky at Baseball Prospectus on February 14, 2013:
During my first summer with the [Lehigh Valley] Iron Pigs, a prospect arrived, fresh off a strong start at Double-A Reading. I hadn’t looked at the game through a scouting lens, but I could tell that this kid was special. In his short time with the Iron Pigs, I had seen him do it all; he scored game-winning runs, he sprayed the ball all over the field, he hit home runs, he stole bases, he rocketed-out runners attempting to tag from third base. He was chiseled and tall. If anyone was born to play baseball, surely it was this 22-year-old: Domonic Brown.
That was almost three years ago, and Domonic Brown has not yet become a superstar. Instead, he owns a career .236/.315/.388 triple-slash line over 492 major-league plate appearances. I haven’t done the math, but I expect that those numbers are significantly better than those of your average 20th-round draft pick. Brown was once a raw, toolsy outfielder, headed to the University of Miami to become a wide receiver. A significantly-overslot, $200,000 bonus convinced him to leave the gridiron and focus on baseball.
At first, the key for Brown was gaining experience. In 2007, he had a strong year with Short-Season Williamsport, and he followed that up with a solid effort for Low-A Lakewood. The numbers weren’t dreamy, but the tools were. In 2009, his stock really started to rise, as his power started to play in games; despite playing in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, he hit .303 and mashed 11 homers in 66 contests, and he didn’t slow down after a promotion to Double-A. By that point, Brown was a consensus top-50 prospect.
Then came 2010, the year that 17-year-old Hudson salivated over Brown, and, unfortunately for Phillies fans, perhaps the year that will define Brown’s career.
Read the full article here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19627
Originally published: February 14, 2013. Last Updated: February 14, 2013.