The Rundown: Brown Continues Stellar Run, Farm System Breakdown, Harper Reacts to CBA Negotiations
“I feel inclined to blow my mind; get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun. They all come out to groove about, be nice and have fun in the sun.” — Itchycoo Park by Small Faces
It’s an off day and the Cubs have been struggling, so I’m going to turn my attention to the future, namely three topics: Ben Brown, Chicago’s farm system, and the CBA negotiations. I slept well past noon today and by now you’re all aware that the Cubs lost yesterday. No need to rehash that garbage.
The format is a little different today to avoid wordiness. I’ll be back to the same old, same old tomorrow.
Ben Brown
It’s too early to get ahead of ourselves, but the Cubs have a burgeoning ace in Brown. The timing couldn’t be better, either, because it seems every starter Craig Counsell is depending on this season is injured. Brown made two starts last week, allowing just seven hits and two runs over 13 innings, while striking out 13. Over his five starts this year, his ERA is 1.73 and his WHIP is 0.85. Brown has allowed only one homer all season after coughing up 18 in 106.1 innings in 2025. His arsenal this season consists of heavy use of a new two-seam fastball, one he picked up while working with Clay Holmes in the offseason.
The answer to Brown’s past problems has always been the need to develop another pitch. The right-hander threw his four-seam and knuckle curve 96% of the time last season and the results were downright ugly. He also dabbled with a slider, which he eventually scrapped, and a middling changeup. Brown’s name popped up in just about every trade rumor.
The Cubs, as you are probably very aware, historically give up on players a little too soon. Jim Hendry was probably the biggest culprit. Jed Hoyer could have easily added Brown to a list of young players who struggled as MLB players and were dealt out of town, like Christopher Morel or Nelson Velázquez. Hoyer may have been hamstrung by his need for passable starters, or maybe he believed Brown would find his wipeout pitch. Regardless, the 26-year-old has been worth 1.6 fWAR this season, topping Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon. That, by definition, makes him a stopper and potential ace.
If you’re into advanced metrics, Jared Greenspan of MLB.com offers a very thorough breakdown. I prefer a layman’s type of evidence, so consider this: Only four right-handed pitchers are holding right-handed hitters to a lower batting average than Brown’s .151 mark. That quartet includes Drew Rasmussen, Shohei Ohtani, Chase Burns, and Cam Schlittler.
Is Brown’s ascent to the top of the rotation sustainable? I think it is.
Chicago’s Farm System
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN updated his prospect ratings for all 30 clubs, and the Cubs have some notable highlights. Four players from Chicago’s 2025 draft made his top 10, which means Hoyer and his scouting department did well to replace players who were called up or traded. First and foremost, Pedro Ramírez is the organization’s new number one. He’s followed by Jefferson Rojas, Josiah Hartshorn, and Jaxon Wiggins. Hartshorn (6th round) was drafted last year, and he’s joined by fellow ’25 draftees Kaleb Wing (4th), Kane Kepley (2nd), and Ethan Conrad (1st).
McDaniel named Hartshorn as the organization’s “riser to know,” but also mentioned Wing.
“I was high on Hartshorn in last year’s draft, ranking him 50th on my final draft rankings,” McDaniel wrote. “Did not see him putting up a .431 OBP with more walks than strikeouts and a promotion to High-A a few months after he turned 19. I was also high on Wing in that draft class and he’s one velo bump away from soaring up this list.”
That’s promising, and gives us all a couple of prospects to track this year and next. Hoyer is also armed with the ammunition to make moves at this deadline should he be so inclined. Tarik Skubal is reportedly available and he’d be a helluva pickup. The only lamentable part of McDaniel’s list is that Wiggins and Wing are the only top 10 pitchers. That’s why Hoyer is seeking outside reinforcements this year.
CBA Negotiations
It sounds like Bryce Harper has a future as the MLBPA president once he retires. Whether you’re pro-union or pro-ownership in the upcoming battle, Harper made a case for both sides when asked. Harper is a team rep for the Phillies who last season famously instructed Rob Manfred to “get the f**k out of his clubhouse.”
“We’re coming from two different areas, but we both have to understand our game is in a great position right now to succeed, and we can’t lose that momentum,” Harper told ESPN from Dodger Stadium on Sunday morning. “We can’t lose that momentum as players. We can’t lose that momentum as owners.
“It’s not like ’94, where there was nothing else to do. It’s not just, ‘Oh, baseball’s here.’ No, there’s a lot of other things to do than just watch baseball.”
You may remember that a lockout canceled the 1994 World Series, which is also the last time the owners pushed for a salary cap. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and BALCO aren’t returning to save anybody’s asses. Keep an eye on how the upcoming negotiations are framed.
- The union believes the league’s push for a cap is motivated almost entirely by the goal of maximizing franchise values.
- Manfred has stated that the cap will appease mid-to small-market fans who crave a level playing field.
Bear in mind, also, that baseball intends to expand to two small-market cities in the near future. Sacramento is the latest city to throw its hat in the ring. Further, the Brewers, Rays, and Guardians lead their divisions as of this morning. The second-place A’s are currently homeless lessees of a minor league baseball stadium. The White Sox, who are forced into mid-market status by a cheap owner and the behemoth shadow cast by the Cubs, are a half-game better than their North Side counterparts.
MLB also wants to install an escrow system, whereby a variable percentage of a player’s income is set aside in case the league does not meet its projected revenues. That could force players to surrender some of their earnings to guarantee a split.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is a pro-labor columnist and didn’t mince words ($) this weekend.
“I’m just waiting to see whether the Brewers, along with the Rays, Guardians, and A’s, will even dare pursue significant upgrades with a labor battle looming. Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance. Something tells me the owners wouldn’t be too happy if one or more of those clubs makes moves to further demonstrate they are wrong.”
If it sounds like the two sides are galaxies apart, it’s because they are. Any extended work stoppage will adversely affect the future of the game, and a lot of the damage may be irreparable. Strap in and stay tuned, and please pass the popcorn.
Ball Four
Pete Crow-Armstrong is vehemently despised by every fanbase in baseball whose team does not play at the corners of Clark and Addison. Somebody, please make him aware. He should win multiple league MVPs with that kind of motivation.
TARPS OFF. BALL GONE. pic.twitter.com/4oW1AuryUG
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 31, 2026
Three from the Bill Chuck Files
- Friday night, Kyle Schwarber hit his MLB-leading 22nd homer of the year. With that homer, he passed Joe DiMaggio, moving into 91st place on the all-time HR list, with 362.
- Randal Grichuk, Michael Conforto, Derek Hill, and Kyle Manzardo are the MLB leaders with two pinch-hit homers.
- The top eight teams in series finale win percentage across the majors this season (Dodgers, Braves, Padres, Brewers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Guardians, and Rays) all entered the weekend ranked among the Top 10 MLB teams in overall win percentage.
Apropos of Nothing
The kids are wearing me out, full stop. That said, we are enjoying every moment of making a difference in their lives.
I have a part-time job at a local bar, so I leave the house at 9pm three or four times each week, returning at 2am or later. The pair of rugrats think I’m Batman and I’m out fighting crime. That makes it all worth it. The money helps, too. Kids are expensive.
In a sense, they’re right. I work as a bouncer, and I’ve grown my hair long and wear shirts with the sleeves cut off. I also grew a horseshoe mustache, and because of my age, some customers simply call me “Roadhouse.” Ridding the bar of bad apples is my way of fighting crime.
Son of Apropos
Thank you, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and Rome Odunze. I am already beyond excited about the upcoming NFL season.
Extra Innings
Please give it up for Evan Altman, who has carried this website for well over a decade. The future seems uncertain here, but any site would be 100 times better with Evan on its staff, including The Athletic and MLB.com. I’d pay to read Evan’s stuff.
At least I have a second career as a pseudo-Dad and overnight vigilante. I would miss writing, and all of you, of course. Let’s hope we can turn things around here.
Just a Few Random Thoughts During Much-Needed Cubs Respite https://t.co/Ue81k1EHFl
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) June 1, 2026
They Said It
- “[The extra pitch] simplifies the game. You’re never too far out of it. It gets you the ability to get deeper into ballgames, gets you more trust. I’m thankful for those pitches, for sure.” – Brown
- “The confidence, the added pitches, the struggles of last year, they’re all pieces that get you to the present. They all matter. They’re all relevant.” – Counsell
Monday Walk-Up Song
You can change “Kilroy” to “A.I.” as far as I’m concerned. Yes, I am no fan of the blogsites that use artificial intelligence to profit. We’d never do that here.
