'It's always been a dream': Top Brewers prospect Eric Brown Jr. excited to continue pro career with Timber Rattlers
GRAND CHUTE – Temperatures are finally rising, birds can be heard chirping again, and baseball is officially back.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will have their 2023 home opener Tuesday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, and featured on the roster is 22-year-old shortstop Eric Brown Jr.
Brown missed the season-opening series at Beloit with minor hip tightness, but he's expected to make his debut with the Timber Rattlers this week.
A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, Brown was drafted by the Brewers out of Coastal Carolina at No. 27 overall in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Last spring, he hit .330 with 19 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 40 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases while scoring 60 runs in 57 games as a junior with the Chanticleers.
Originally a walk-on, Brown became the first player in school history to be drafted in the first round. Throughout his three collegiate seasons, Brown slashed .306/.431/.501 with 16 home runs in 123 games.
Five days after being drafted, Brown signed with the Brewers. He made his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Brewers – a rookie-level affiliate – playing just four games before getting promoted to the Low-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats. In total, Brown played 27 games between the two teams, batting .268 (26-for-97) with seven doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs, 23 runs scored and 19 stolen bases.
Brown said the experience in those games was positive and helped him form a mentality of what it takes to play at the professional level.
“It went well,” Brown said. “It went as well as I expected it to go. It was kind of a new experience, so I didn’t go in there with expectations. I just went in there trying to enjoy the moment and be where my feet are. I understood what I needed to work on going into the offseason after that. I need to get stronger. I need to get faster. I need to have more endurance. I need to work on the fine-tuning. Once I understood that and what the season is going to hold, it gave me a good understanding of it.”
Timber Rattlers manager Joe Ayrault is impressed with Brown, who is the No. 9 prospect in the Brewers organization according to MLB Pipeline.
“Super athlete. Good mover. Very impressed with his play at shortstop. He can fly on the bases. Good instincts. He can hit to all fields and hit with power, so he’s as advertised,” Ayrault said.
Teammate and fellow 2022 draft pick Robert Moore, the Brewers’ No. 11 prospect, is looking forward to playing alongside Brown on the Timber Rattlers' infield.
“Eric does everything,” Moore said. “Steals bases, he hits, hits for power, plays shortstop. He’s an exciting player to watch and admire and also play with.”
Brown’s success with the bat is largely attributed to his plate discipline – rarely swinging and missing or chasing pitches out of the strike zone. In 570 collegiate plate appearances, Brown walked (14.2%) more often than he struck out (13.2%).
While his stats reflect talent and skill with a bat, the best part of Brown’s game, in his opinion, is his defense.
“I would definitely have to say my glove,” he said. “It’s always been my staple. I carry it around with me everywhere I go and so that’s my baby, so I would have to say defense.”
One thing fans will notice about Brown is his unorthodox batting stance, which is similar to the one Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell had in his playing career. He holds his hands directly above his head and points the barrel of the bat in front of his face before beginning his leg kick.
Brown said he developed his swing and stance in his sophomore year of high school when he was trying to find his “power slot” and patterned his technique after current Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich after moving his hands around for a year, finally figuring out where they needed to be.
“When I was growing up my swing always had a big load – big leg kick – and so Christian Yelich is a guy that’s always had that his entire career. He gave me the confidence that if he can do it, then I can do it. It was that kind of a thing. Watching him develop into the player he is, it gave me the confidence,” Brown said.
The Brewers are off to a hot start this season thanks, in part, to the success of young players Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang and Joey Wiemer who have come up through the ranks of the minor league system. Brown said the time he spent with them in Arizona for spring training this year provided insight on what his path to the big leagues will look like.
“It gives you the confidence but, talking with those guys, it’s all about understanding and enjoying the process,” he said. “Whether you move quick or move slow, regardless the end goal is the same. So I’m just understanding that we all want to get to the same place. It doesn’t matter how fast I get there, I’m just going to move at the time that God has set for me.”
Brown also said he was given plenty of good advice while with the major league club, particularly from former Brewers standout Rickie Weeks.
“Embrace every day,” Brown said. “Just enjoy every moment and separate each thing that you do. Take the small accomplishments that you have and let them build. They were all welcoming. All those guys were always open to have conversations and really get to understand what you’re thinking. It was a really cool experience. They made every day special.”
Brown says he hasn’t established any specific goals for this season, instead simply enjoying each day as it comes.
“Just being where my feet are, honestly,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to take in every moment and understand that wherever I am is what I’m going to do. I’m going to do it with my chest out and my head up and walk out with every day being a new day. I’m excited to be here and see what it holds. It’s always been a dream and it’s like the dream is finally coming to fruition, so getting ready to play with all these guys is going to be awesome.”
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Top Milwaukee Brewers draft pick continues climb with Timber Rattlers
