Analyst suggests Cubs are hindering Ben Brown's development with recent strategy‌

Ben Brown has become a bit of an enigma wrapped inside a riddle, wrapped inside a puzzle for the Chicago Cubs. The young hurler has the talent to be a mainstay in a MLB rotation. But fans and his manager appear to be losing patience with his struggles, especially this season.

The Cubs are looking for ways for Brown to become a more consistent pitcher. One potential solution seemed to have worked, though one analyst believes Chicago might have hurt the young pitcher while also helping him. 

On a recent episode of the Mully & Haugh show on 670 The Score, David Haugh said he thinks that while using an “opener” for Ben Brown worked for a short time, the Chicago Cubs might have also gotten into Brown’s head and made him believe he can't succeed without it.

Cubs, Ben Brown suffering from over-reliance on openers

The club went back to allowing him to start as normal during their series against the Detroit Tigers, and it worked out okay. However, in his start against the Phillies, many of the problems that led to the Cubs using an opener for his outings returned in force. Brown walked three, allowed eight hits, and gave up six earned runs in just 5.1 innings in a 7-2 loss.

Haugh started his rant about Brown by making it clear he believes an opener should now be the norm for the Cubs’ pitcher.

“I would be reluctant to use him again without an opener. I think what we have created, or the Cubs have created or contributed to, is this idea that guys need that one inning to adjust or adapt or to tone things down internally.”

The analyst doesn’t seem to think that’s true, but he believes Brown now does, and it’s become a bit of a mental block.

“Whether it's true or not, or whether we think it's valid or not, whether we think we long for the good old days when pitchers would just go out and give you six or seven, it doesn't matter because I think the Cubs have maybe Ben Brown in his head believing he's better with an opener.”

Haugh went on to clarify that he believes Brown is coming out too amped up these days. And he thinks an opener could help him deal with it, since he doesn’t seem to be finding his own way manage his emotions and adrenaline on the mound.

“He doesn't have to worry about the pomp and the circumstance of any kind of opening the game, and any kind of anxiety that he's found difficult to manage and start with command. That's what I would do. And I would do it next time out, because you can't afford to waste another start.”

He’s right that the Chicago Cubs can’t afford to waste starts. Not while they are smack dab in the middle of a pennant fight. If they won’t keep using an opener for Ben Brown, it might be time to go to the backup plan.