Dominic Brown Takes Batting Practice (Video)

On July 28, 2010, the Philadelphia Phillies gave their fans a taste of the future when they called up 22-year old outfielder Dominic Brown to play right field.  The move was a result of Shane Victorino’s trip to the DL, and the subsequent decision to shift their usual right fielder, Jayson Werth, over to center field.  Although Brown’s playing time drastically decreased after Victorino’s activation, he showed the baseball world that there is a lot to look forward to in 2011.

Ranked by Baseball America as the 15^th best prospect headed in the 2010 season, Brown began the year at Double-A Reading of the Eastern League where he played in 65 games as the team’s right fielder.  There he slashed .318/.391/.602 with 16 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 47 RBI.  Brown also managed 29 walks and struck out 51 times in 236 at-bats.  Although the 6’5” outfielder has tremendous speed, he has not yet mastered the art of stealing a base, as evidenced by his 12 stolen bases in 18 attempts.

After raking at Double-A, the left-handed hitting Brown was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley where he hit .346 with six doubles, a triple, and five home runs, while driving in 21 runs.

Then, on July 28, Brown was recalled by the Phillies and made his MLB Debut starting in right field and hitting sixth.  In his first Big League at-bat, he laced an RBI double off the right-centerfield wall, and finished the game 2-3, scoring two runs and also driving in two.  Yet, Brown saw his playing time decrease over the remainder of the season due to his propensity for striking out, as well as the activation of a recuperated Shane Victorino.

Brown finished the 2010 season with slashes of .210/.257/.355 with three doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.  Brown’s biggest downfall was his lack of plate discipline, which was exploited by Major League pitching; he struck out 24 times while drawing only five walks in 62 at-bats.  Still, there were glimpses of greatness, such as Brown’s pinch-hit, 440ft. blast on July 18.

For you viewing pleasure, here is a video of Dominic Brown taking batting practice before an Arizona Fall League game in 2009: