The arrow is pointing up for Georgia Tech right-handed pitcher Dawson Brown at the right time, heading into the MLB Draft on July 14 in Fort Worth, Texas.
*The draft will be three days, end on July 16, and consist of 20 rounds.
Georgia Tech pitching advisor Jason Richman told World Baseball Network that the “Sky is the limit” for Dawson Brown’s potential in MLB. Georgia Tech has had 34 players drafted to MLB in the last 31 years.
Georgia Tech right-handed pitcher Aeden Finateri also spoke about Brown and has pitched with Brown for three seasons from 2022 to 2024.
“He has everything it takes to pitch in the big leagues, from maturity, mentality, pitch package, etc. Whoever ends up taking him probably already knows that and will see it when he plays.,” Finateri told World Baseball Network.
On a high note, Brown ended his season with Georgia Tech, pitching three scoreless innings in his last two games, played the same day in the Athens Regional on June 2. Brown struck out three batters with no runs allowed in two innings to keep Georgia Tech’s season alive in a 3-1 win against UNC Wilmington. His final appearance was one scoreless inning with one strikeout against Georgia in an 8-6 loss in 10 innings.
“The way I ended the season was strong because I was put into a tough situation and closed out UNC Willianton in the last two innings. Georgia’s last three outs were a huge inclination for what I worked on,” Brown told World Baseball Network.
Brown, 23, throws from a 3/4 arm over the top, and his arm slot is sometimes close to the sidearm. Brown topped out at 97 MPH this year and has two different breaking balls that top out at around 84 MPH. Brown features a fastball, sinker, slider, cutter, and changeup.
“When I got to high school, I realized it was obtainable in sophomore year to play college baseball and go into the MLB Draft,” Brown said.
He chose to go to Georgia Tech because it was a big school near his home. Brown was always drawn to baseball and had a natural talent for it. Baseball was in his blood through his father, Kevin Brown, who won over 200 games with an ERA of 3.28 and racked up over 2,300 strikeouts. The older Brown was a six-time All-Star, World Series Champion with the Florida Marlins in 1997, and also pitched a no-hitter that same season.
Brown was just five years old when his father retired from MLB with the New York Yankees after the 2005 season.
“We always talk about pitching, what he did, what I can do, and how I can realize my dream. Whenever he’s around the game, he’s like a kid and loves being around the ballpark and watching me pitch,” Dawson said. “I’ve always looked up to him, and I wish people knew the other side of him outside of the game—that he’s a really good person.”
Brown took a big jump in his senior season at Georgia Tech. He cut his walk rate by nearly .50 percent and struck out 45 batters in 30 innings from the bullpen. His standout performance came against Presbyterian. He pitched three scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a 9-8 win.
“The best outing of the year. The Presbyterian guys said it was the best stuff they’ve ever seen,” Richman told World Baseball Network. It was so good he almost pitched two immaculate innings.
Richman credited Brown’s development on pitching coach Matt Taylor and enjoyed working with them as a group.
Brown talked about his development and some hurdles he had to overcome. Brown was injured in his sophomore season and had difficulty finding his rhythm as a junior. One lousy inning would throw him off, but he responded to adversity much better this year.
“If you don’t let yourself fail, you won’t accomplish your goals,” Brown said. “Give yourself grace. The pitching coach helped me a lot with the mental game and sharpened everything else.”
“The biggest improvement I made was throwing more strikes, and that’s an area in which I can continue to improve,” Brown said.
Brown’s arm has been described as energetic, and his coaches and teammates say he’s an outstanding athlete.
“Working with him was wonderful. He was one of the best arms I’ve ever seen,” Richman said.
Brown’s personality is laid-back. He loves to crack jokes in the clubhouse to keep the mood up, and he also quickly gained the respect of his teammates.
“He was always a leader in the clubhouse. Even when I was a freshman and a sophomore, he had the maturity of an upperclassman,” Finatari said. “He led by example from the front and would push from behind, as well as helping guys that needed guidance.
“The biggest thing I noticed this year was him being fully healthy and being able to go out there and compete at 100%. This year, he filled up the zone a ton, which worked in his favor, seeing how elite his metrics and stuff”, Finatari said.
Richman expanded on Brown’s potential and what he believes he could do in MLB.
“He’s one of the unique players from our team. I think he’s ceiling and is an all-star reliever,” Richman said. “I think he can get any hitter out with his stuff, and when he’s on and comes into the game, the game is virtually over.”
Brown could benefit from an analytical team because his pitches grade well. At 6-foot-1, with a tricky delivery to pick up the baseball, Brown offers a lot of upside.
“I am working hard to try to reach my dream of making MLB. Every day, I am constantly finding ways to get better, and I have an obsession with being the best,” Brown said.
Photo Courtesy of Georgia Tech
