PBR - The future is now for Domonic Brown.
The 25-year-old finally has the spotlight to himself in the Phillies' outfield now that Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino both have been traded. The remainder of the season will likely be Brown's final audition before the organization decides on his future value - is he a budding superstar, a productive everyday player, or simply a fringe outfielder.
Baseball America ranked Brown as one of baseball's best prospects prior to the 2011 season, but a .236/.314/.382 line through 280 major league plate appearances has sparked concern. Add some shoddy defense (.949 fielding percentage) and you can understand why Ruben Amaro Jr. wanted Brown to hone his skills through another entire season at Triple A Lehigh Valley.
Brown was limited to 60 games with the IronPigs this year after missing a month with an injured right knee. He was hitting .286 with 5 home runs and 28 RBIs when he received word of his promotion.
"It feels great to be up here again," Brown said. "I'm looking forward to showing this is where I belong."
Charlie Manuel said he expects to play Brown everyday, so some pressure should already be alleviated.
"I know what I need to do," Brown said. "It simply is a matter now of actually going out there and doing it."
What will you be looking for from Brown during the remainder of the 2012 season? Comment below and let us know.
- Patrick Gordon is the editor of the Philadelphia Baseball Review. Contact him at pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com or @Philabaseball on Twitter.
