SURPRISE, Ariz. – There are currently eight players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 team prospect lists who received an 80-point rating. One of them, Dasan Brownshowed he was anything but a one-dimensional player Tuesday night.
Brown, now hitting .319 with a .900 OPS, got Surprise on the board when he took Braves left-handed pitcher Dylan Dodd to the deepest part of the stadium in immediate center field in the bottom of the second.
“The scouting report said see everything,” said Brown, who also scored three times in the fight. “He threw me a first-pitch slider that started downfield, so I stayed in approach. He gave me a pitch that was clear, the work we did in the cage translated. That’s what happened there.
The 22-year-old has worked tirelessly both during these BP sessions and in terms of strength and conditioning to become a more complete player. He knows top speed will always be his calling card – he’s scored at least 20 goals in each of his three full seasons of professional ball since Toronto drafted him in their own backyard, according to the rankings. Ontario secondary schools. , in the third round in 2019 – but he is clearly eager to prove that he can offer much more than his wheels.
“It’s work, man,” Brown said. “You do the work, try to get better every day, to see that translate out there, it’s pretty cool. Obviously we spend a lot of time in the weight room trying to get a little bit bigger. Seeing it pay off is pretty cool.
It’s been a slow payoff for Brown as he’s slowly moved up the Blue Jays ranks. Toronto preached patience from the start, knowing they were selecting a very young high school player with a ton of raw ability who could take some time to sharpen those tools and become a consistent player. There have been glimpses of his potential, like when he finished with an OPS above .800 as he moved from Single-A to High-A in 2022. (He posted a .633 OPS in 2021, his first full season of professional ball…).
“I think the most important thing is to understand who I am,” Brown said. “When you sign at 17, you’re still trying to figure yourself out. As you get older, get a few games under your belt, you have to realize, “This is what I can do.” But staying within myself is the most important thing. Figuring out who I am is kind of where I’m at right now.
That was important when he experienced plenty of adversity with a return to High-A Vancouver in 2023. Brown swiped 26 sacks, but his .218/.309/.315 line wasn’t exactly the way he was hoping to follow up on his 2022 campaign. He learned valuable lessons that he brought to the Fall League, particularly about the mental side of the game, and it helped him establish a .319/.389 line /.511 over his first 13 games.
“Face failure,” Brown highlighted as the biggest lesson of the regular season. “The best players go through that. It’s not one person or another; everyone goes through it. Understanding that this is part of the game, clearing your head every day and coming back with the same mindset: “I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of and I let everything else take over.
Those who see Brown as a future opener who provides exceptional defense — he nearly threw out a runner at home plate to end Tuesday’s game — need not worry that a big fly means Brown is starting to get upset. sell for power. Sure, he understands he’ll have to continue to prove he can make an impact on baseball, but he’s not going to stray from who he is to do it.
“I think the main thing is to use as much of the field as possible,” Brown said. “Understanding my tools, trying to keep the ball on a line and use my speed that way, but anytime you throw a ball in the air like that, that exit velocity is pretty cool.”
Brown wasn’t the only Blue Jays prospect to add to the offensive production in a game totaling 22 runs and 33 hits. Damiano Palmegiani (TOR n°18) went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, including three on a bases-loaded triple in that huge eighth. Eight of the nine batters in the Saguaros lineup had a hit as Surprise moved into first place with a 12-8 record.
Brown plans to continue contributing to these winning efforts, but he’s learned it’s a process. It is not always easy for a young player to adhere to the concept of patience, even if the organization often emphasizes it, but he seems to understand it well.
“You know what you are capable of; the most important thing is to trust him,” Brown said. “You want it all in one bite, but by taking those little steps, ultimately it leads to a bigger picture.” I’m trying to get better, and whatever happens, happens.”
