Position: Starting right fielder
Age: 25
Prospect Level: Major League ready.
2012 Major League Stats: 56 G, .235 AVG, 11 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, .712 OPS
2012 Minor League Stats: 60 G, .286 AVG, 13 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, .767 OPS
Season in Review: Domonic Brown is Major League ready. But he’s still a question mark in terms of how much of an impact he will have in right field for the Phillies.
Brown has survived three trade rumors, a barrage of knee and hand injuries and a myriad of doubt to cement himself a spot on the Opening Day starting lineup in 2013. But let’s look at Brown’s 2012 season to decipher why fans should be content with what Brown is.
First off, Brown isn’t what he was advertised to be. He won’t be a 30-plus, 100-RBI guy everyone was hoping he’d be. He may still be, but he’s probably not going to be. Instead he’s going to be a guy the Phillies are going to rely on to get on base, take bases with his legs and score runs. Brown can very easily do that.
Brown’s season started off on the wrong foot again. In 2011, Brown broke the hamate bone in his hand, halting his chances at making the Phillies then. But in 2012, Brown jammed his thumb on a diving play and had minor neck problems, causing him to again start in Triple A where he would work on playing in left field.
But injuries hit Brown again during the season. He had lingering hamstring problems that slowed his progression. Brown fought through them, hitting .300 in 11 games during the month of June.
Then Brown was diagnosed with knee inflammation and missed another month of baseball. Brown returned in mid-July, hitting a scorching .362 (17-for-47) in 13 games before being called up to the Phillies.
Brown managed to stay healthy in Philadelphia, playing every day in August and September. But his batting average was poor and his on-base percentage was poor for what the Phillies expected it to be. Even worse, his slugging was only a dismal .396, slightly higher than Juan Pierre’s .371.
But what’s going to be different about 2013 as opposed to 2012 is that Brown is finally guaranteed a spot. He doesn’t have any pressure, and if he can avoid being injured again, will have his first full Major League season to prove the Phillies that holding onto him was the right move.
Grade: B-
TTB 