WATCH: Tommy Hottovy praises Ben Brown's outing, talks upcoming Japan series |
Tony Crumpton
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- Friday, March 07 2025
Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy jumped on the broadcast from Sloan Park talking about Ben Brown's outing, how the pitching staff is handling the workload before the Tokyo Series and much more.
Watch the dugout interview below:
Video summary/cliff-notes:
(00:00) Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy praised Ben Brown’s outing, highlighting his efficiency—28 pitches, one time through the order, with three strikeouts.
(00:30) Brown showed strong execution early, mixing his fastball, curveball, and an improved changeup. He also faced traffic on the bases, which was a valuable experience for him.
(00:59) Brown's changeup, a key focus this spring, sits in the 91-93 mph range, making it a power changeup.
(01:34) The Cubs emphasized finding a grip that allows Brown to trust the pitch while reducing velocity and spin, making it an effective weapon against fastball hitters.
(02:06) More power changeups are being used in MLB, and Brown’s complements his fastball (96 mph) and power curveball well.
(02:45) Brown has both started and pitched from the bullpen, similar to Assad. Success in both roles depends on routine and recovery.
(03:16) With the upcoming Japan series, Cubs pitchers are being stretched to 55-65 pitches. The team plans to rely on multi-inning arms for flexibility.
