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Hunter Brown (baseball)

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Hunter Brown
Houston Astros – No. 58
Pitcher
Born: (1998-08-29) August 29, 1998 (age 26)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 5, 2022, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through September 24, 2024)
Win–loss record24–22
Earned run average4.06
Strikeouts379
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Hunter Noah Brown (born August 29, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at Wayne State University. The Astros selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2022.

Early life

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Born in Detroit, Michigan, Hunter Brown grew up in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He attended St. Isaac Jogues elementary school, followed by Lakeview High School, where he played catcher and pitcher.[1]

Brown played college baseball at NCAA Division II Wayne State University, located one mile from Comerica Park, and the only school at any level to offer him a scholarship.[2] In 2018, he played in two collegiate summer baseball leagues. He played for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, where he appeared in 13 games and pitched to an ERA of 1.26.[3] After his season with the Big Train, Brown played with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] As a junior at Wayne State, Brown went 9–0 with a 2.21 earned run average over 14 starts and struck out 114 batters in 85+1⁄3 innings pitched.[5]

While Justin Verlander was pitching for the Detroit Tigers, Brown grew up idolizing him and frequently attended games at Comerica Park. Late in the 2022 season, Verlander, then pitching for the Houston Astros, landed on the injured list due to a right calf issue, and Astros called Brown up to the major leagues. The two pitchers became teammates.[6]

Professional career

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Draft and minor leagues

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Brown was selected in the 5th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Houston Astros.[7] He signed with the team and was assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League and went 2–2 with a 4.56 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 23+2⁄3 innings pitched.[8][9]

After not playing in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown began the 2021 season with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks.[10] Brown was promoted to the Triple-A Sugar Land Skeeters in August 2021 after posting a 1–4 record with a 4.20 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 49+1⁄3 innings pitched with the Hooks.[11]

The Astros invited Brown to 2022 Spring Training camp as a non-roster invitee.[12] He returned to Sugar Land to start the season, and was selected to the All-Star Futures Game.[13] On May 31, he was named Pacific Coast League (PCL) Pitcher of the Week after a scoreless 7-inning outing with 10 strikeouts versus the El Paso Chihuahuas.[14] Brown finished his season in Triple A as the PCL leader in ERA (2.55, minimum 60 innings pitched), and induced a strikeout rate of 31.5% and groundball rate of 54.2%. Over 23 total appearances, he made 14 starts and hurled 106 innings.[15] In August 2022, Brown ranked as the Astros' top prospect and moved in MLB.com Pipeline's from #80 to #71 overall in baseball. His curveball (65) was graded as the best among all top-100 prospects.[16] Following the regular season, he was named PCL Pitcher of the Year,[17] and the Houston Astros' Minor League Pitcher of the Year.[18]

Houston Astros

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2022

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The Astros promoted Brown from Sugar Land to the major league roster for the first time on September 1, 2022.[19] On September 5, he started and won a sensational major league debut, hurling the first six innings of a 1–0 shutout of the Texas Rangers. He allowed three hits, one walk and struck out five to outduel Rangers ace Martín Pérez. Brown retired the first eight batters faced,[20] including striking out the first two of the game, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, for his first two career strikeouts.[21] The win evened the Astros' all-time franchise win-loss record at 4,812–4,812, for the first time since in May 14, 2006.[22] In his second start of the season, Brown made his road debut as a homecoming in Detroit with friends and family in attendance, leading a 6–3 defeat of the Tigers. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings.[23] On September 19, Brown made his relief debut, hurling three innings in a 4–0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch a fifth American League West division title for the Astros over the previous six seasons.[24] On October 4, Brown relieved Verlander in an ongoing no-hitter versus the Philadelphia Phillies and delivered 2+1⁄3 hitless innings that Houston pitching maintained until the ninth inning.[25]

In 2022, Brown was 2–0 with an 0.89 ERA in 20+1⁄3 innings with 22 strikeouts, in seven games (two starts).[26]

Brown made his postseason debut on October 11, 2022, in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. He pitched in relief in the eighth inning, surrendering just one hit in an 8–7 Astros' walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners.[27] Brown also threw two scoreless innings in the 12th and 13th of the Astros' 18-inning victory over the Mariners in Game 3. Brown's last appearance of the postseason came in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, throwing 2⁄3 of an inning to help close out a 5–0 win. The Astros advanced to the World Series and defeated the Phillies in six games to give him his first career World Series title.[28]

2024

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Brown started the 2024 season with 9.78 ERA and 0–4 W–L in six April starts.[29] On April 11 versus Kansas City, he became the first pitcher to allow 11 hits in less than one inning, leading to nine runs while tallying 2⁄3 inning.[30] In June, Brown pitched to a 1.16 ERA, 4–0 W–L, 31 IP, 36 strikeouts, and 8 walks, yielding the lowest ERA in the major leagues for the month.[31] Further, his 2.31 ERA from June 1 through the end of the season ranked third in MLB.[32] Brown concluded the 2024 regular season with an 11–9 W–L, 3.49 ERA, 31 games, 30 starts, 170 IP, 156 hits, 18 home runs allowed, and 179 strikeouts. He ranked 9th in the American League (AL) in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, 9.476) and surrendered the 10th-most walks (60).[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Davis, Jason Carmel (June 27, 2019). "St. Clair Shores native recounts MLB draft selection". St. Clair Shores Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Hunter Brown develops into top DII draft prospect". Baseball Prospect Journal. May 13, 2019. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "#32 Hunter Brown". pointstreak.com. pointstreak. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  4. ^ "#38 Hunter Brown". pointstreak.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Purcell, Jared (June 5, 2019). "Wayne State pitcher from St. Clair Shores taken in MLB draft's 5th round". MLive.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Lerner, Danielle (September 5, 2022). "Astros insider: In Hunter Brown's stellar MLB debut, family's presence is icing on the cake". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  7. ^ "'Us up-north guys can play:' Wayne State's Hunter Brown goes in fifth round to Astros". The Detroit News. June 4, 2019. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Kaplan, Jake (May 26, 2020). "Why Hunter Brown might be the Astros' best prospect from the 2019 draft". The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  9. ^ Baseball America 2020 Prospect Handbook Digital Edition. Simon and Schuster. 2020. ISBN 9781932391947.
  10. ^ Kaplan, Jake (June 23, 2021). "As he adjusts to Double A, Astros prospect Hunter Brown's command is 'still an ongoing process'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Rome, Chandler (August 1, 2021). "Astros promote top pitching prospect Hunter Brown to Sugar Land". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  12. ^ "Korey Lee, Pedro León, Hunter Brown among non-roster invitees to Astros spring camp". Houston Chronicle. March 12, 2022.
  13. ^ Van Doren, Kenny (July 17, 2022). "Houston Astros' prospects Brown, Díaz partake in 2022 All-Star Futures Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  14. ^ "Hunter Brown named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week". MiLB.com. May 31, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. ^ Franco, Anthony (August 29, 2022). "Astros to promote Hunter Brown, Yainer Díaz". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Van Doren, Kenny (August 18, 2022). "Houston Astros' Brown moves up Top-100 in latest prospect ranking update". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Van Doren, Kenny (November 7, 2022). "Houston Astros' Brown named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  18. ^ Press Release (October 4, 2022). "Astros announce 2022 Minor League Players of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Vita, Jack (September 1, 2022). "Houston Astros call up prospects Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "Brown dazzles in MLB debut, Astros edge skidding Rangers 1–0". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  21. ^ Lerner, Danielle (September 5, 2022). "Astros shut out Rangers as Hunter Brown wins his MLB debut". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  22. ^ McTaggart, Brian (September 5, 2022). "Astros' franchise reaches .500 for 1st time since 2006". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  23. ^ "Astros' Brown hurls 6 strong innings to beat hometown Tigers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  24. ^ Lerner, Danielle (September 19, 2022). "Astros wrap up 5th AL West title in last 6 years". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  25. ^ "Verlander, bullpen keep Phils hitless until 9th in 10–0 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Hunter Brown stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more". Baseball-Reference.com.
  27. ^ "2022 American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 1, Mariners at Astros". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  28. ^ Rome, Chandler (November 5, 2022). "Undisputed: 'It proves we're the best team in baseball ... They have nothing to say now.'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  29. ^ Carlson, Matt (June 19, 2024). "Hunter Brown tosses 6 impressive innings, César Salazar drives in 2 in Astros' 4–1 win vs. White Sox". Associated Press. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  30. ^ Shapiro, Mike (April 11, 2024). "Hunter Brown implosion vs. Royals continues Astros' disastrous start". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  31. ^ Treuden, Eric (July 2, 2024). "American League Players of the Month: June 2024". Just Baseball. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  32. ^ Kawahara, Matt (September 24, 2024). "How Hunter Brown turned his 2024 into a stellar season". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
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