Cubs Insider Names Potential Breakout Player Nobody’s Talking About

The Chicago Cubs have a strong rotation this year, featuring the likes of Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton and others. While there is a chance of adding a free agent starter like Zac Gallen or Framber Valdez, it may not be necessary at this juncture.

On Tuesday, MLB.com senior reporter Jordan Bastian held an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit with Cubs fans at r/CHICubs.

When asked by a fan who would be a breakout player on nobody's radar currently, Bastian gave a name that has fallen out of the rotation conversation in Ben Brown.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Bastian notes that the current rotation would have him as an odd man out.

"I could see him getting a look as a reliever similar to the second half last year," Bastian wrote. "When Brown is on, he is dominant. Maybe he begins the year at Triple-A Iowa in the name of maintaining depth, but I still think he could be an impact arm."

Why could Brown potentially break out?

Brown has had an up-and-down career in his two seasons in the major leagues. He was a 33rd-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017 out of high school and was traded in 2022 to the Cubs for closer David Robertson.

Brown would debut in 2024 for the Cubs as a spot starter and reliever. He pitched in 15 games that year (eight starts), and would have a 3.58 ERA in 55.1 innings, striking out 64 batters.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown and Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The powerful 6-foot-6 right-hander had injuries ruin his rookie year, but showed promise. His fastball averaged 96.4 mph, good for the 86th percentile, per Baseball Savant. However, the following season he didn't show nearly as much potential.

In 2025, Brown would pitch to a poor 5.92 ERA in 25 games (15 starts). While he still showed that strikeout potential, with 121 punchouts in 106.1 innings, he fell short of expectations. So why does the organization still have faith in the 26-year-old?

Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said earlier this offseason: “For me, I 100% see him as a starter. ... He’s got the upside to be a really good power pitcher in the back end of the bullpen, but you don’t want to just crown that. You want that to kind of happen. Sometimes it happens because it’s what the team needs. Sometimes it happens because the player shows you that’s his best role."

Ben Brown doing burpees at the Kids Only Press Conference #Cubs Con! pic.twitter.com/HaA4D9bAXR
— Crawly's Cubs Kingdom (@crawlyscubs) January 17, 2026

With the rotation currently crowded with Cabrera, Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and other names that could potentially make a move to the bullpen, it's likely that Brown no longer has a future in the rotation.

However, with his power fastball and strong knuckle-curve, perhaps Brown can become a strong high-leverage reliever for a team that will be winning a lot of games in the near-future.

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