MLB trends: New looks for Ben Brown, Luis Arraez and Trevor Megill

We are actually into May and the a part of the baseball season when issues turn into actual. Spring coaching and April are filled with lies. May is when the rubber hits the street and we get a greater concept of ​​what the season really is. This workforce is for actual, these gamers are breaking out, these guys are in for a protracted season, and so forth. May is when issues settle into place.

With that in thoughts, listed below are three traits value maintaining a tally of as we get into the nitty-gritty of the season.

Ben Brown’s breakout season

Despite sitting in first place within the NL Central, the Cubs are pushing the restrict of their rotation depth. Cade Horton (elbow surgical procedure) is completed for the season and Matthew Boyd (knee surgical procedure) and Justin Steele (elbow surgical procedure) will likely be sidelined a number of extra weeks. It is not any shock, then, that the Cubs are already said to be monitoring the trade market for rotation help.

Following Boyd’s harm, the Cubs opted to maneuver late-inning reliever Ben Brown into the rotation over Javier Assadwho made three begins in April and 29 begins two years in the past. Brown had emerged as a trusted high-leverage reliever for supervisor Craig Counsell, though he affords better upside than Assad, so the Cubs needed to present him one other likelihood at a rotation job.

Brown’s first begin since July 27 could not have gone higher. I’ve held the Rangers hitless throughout 4 innings this previous weekend, hanging out three and strolling one. Two-thirds of his balls in play have been on the bottom. Because he had been within the bullpen, Brown was on a pitch restrict in his first begin, and he was environment friendly sufficient to get via 4 innings. He was terrific.

Brown has by no means lacked stuff. His upper-80s curveball is a hammer that lights up analytical fashions, and he is sat mid-90s and proven a couple of upper-90s together with his four-seam fastball. This yr, Brown added a sinker, particularly to jam up righties and get fast outs. I’ve linked with Mets starter and sinker specialist Clay Holmes over the winter close to their Nashville properties and picked his mind.

“It’s almost unbelievable, just the amount of people who told me to train with this guy who I had never met in my life. It was like, ‘You’ve got to go work out with Clay. You’ve got to work out with Clay,'” Brown informed MLB.com in spring coaching. “…He’s really kind and gracious with his time. I mean, he was helping me out so much. Mentally, physically. Probably even more on the mental side.”

Brown is now a sinker/curveball pitcher towards righties and a four-seamer/curveball pitcher towards lefties. He’s actually improved towards lefties (.419 OPS in 2026 vs. .885 OPS in 2025) thanks to higher fastball location, however the sinker is a brand new wrinkle for righties. The pitch grades out properly analytically (108 Stuff+) and hitters have not been capable of sq. it up.

There is one thing to be informed for studying the way to get outs within the bullpen and utilizing that have whenever you transfer again into the rotation. Different roles, sure, however the job is identical: get outs. Holmes, Michael Kingand others had success within the bullpen and have since returned to the rotation after struggling as starters earlier of their careers. Brown could also be following an identical path.

Luis Arraez’s improved protection

Luis Arraez is a number of issues, first and foremost a particular hitter with a preternatural present for getting the bat on the ball. One factor he has by no means been, a minimum of not till 2026, was a very good defensive participant. From 2019-25, he has ranked close to the underside of the league with minus-69.5 runs of fielding worth, per FanGraphs. There’s a motive Arraez performed a lot first base and DH from 2024-25.

That’s why it was so curious when the Giants signed Arraez to play second base. In spring coaching, POBO Buster Posey informed NBC Sports Bay Area that, “We felt comfortable that there was a solid foundation there for a guy who could play second base well,” including that they have been “really optimistic” about Arraez working with Ron Washington, San Francisco’s new infield coach.

Washington is a legendary infield coach. Marcus Semien you could have credited him with improving his defense when the 2 have been with the Athletics. The Braves had arguably the perfect defensive infield within the sport throughout their 2021 World Series championship yr, thanks partially to Washington, who was on the coaching staff. Countless others have credited him for enhancing their protection.

With all due respect, Arraez could also be Washington’s best success to this point. He entered play on Tuesday with plus-4 defensive runs saved, a top-25 mark in baseball, and plus-9 outs of above common. Only Bobby Witt Jr. (plus-10) was higher. Arraez passes the attention check too. He’s made some very nifty (and maybe beforehand unthinkable) performs on the keystone:

“Footwork, glovework, everything is better,” Arraez informed the San Francisco Chronicle about working with Washington in spring coaching. “…Everything’s in the right spot. My hands are in the right spot, my eyes are on the ball. All I have to do is catch the ball and throw it to first. I’m really enjoying it.”

Is Arraez actually the second-best defensive participant in all of baseball, like outs above common says? No, nearly actually not, however you possibly can see the advance. Arraez was a clunky defender with poor vary previous to this season, particularly at second base. He’s attending to extra balls now and making clear, stress-free performs. It’s a night-and-day distinction. It actually is.

Washington has a protracted monitor document of serving to infielders turn into higher glovemen and he seems to have labored his magic with Arraez. Early season defensive stats aren’t particularly dependable, so I count on Arraez’s to come back down within the coming weeks, however even simply common protection could be an unlimited enchancment from Arraez. He actually is so a lot better within the area.

Trevor Megill’s recovering fastball

From 2024-25, erstwhile Brewers nearer Trevor Megill was among the best relievers in baseball, throwing 93 ⅓ innings with a 2.60 ERA whereas hanging out a wholesome 29.3% of batters confronted. That earned him a visit to final summer time’s All-Star Game. Megill had a really tough begin to 2026, nonetheless, permitting eight runs in his first 5 innings. Since then, he is allowed simply three runs in 10 innings.

A flexor pressure despatched Megill to the injured checklist late final August, and though he returned to pitch within the postseason, he was diminished. His velocity was down and the outs did not come as simply as they as soon as did. Megill’s velocity has remained down this yr, and at one level, he threw 44 fastballs between swings and misses. Before the harm, he averaged one whiff each 9 fastballs.

Megill’s latest resurgence doesn’t stem from extra fastball velocity or extra whiffs. With the caveat that this can be a tiny pattern, he’s utilizing his heater in a special a part of the zone. He used to raise his fastball as a result of hitters would swing below it and be unable to sq. it up. Now he is utilizing it on the knees greater than ever. Here are Megill’s fastball location warmth maps:

The consequence has been extra pop ups and extra weak contact normally. Opponents had a 97.8 mph common exit velocity towards Megill’s fastball in April, an unfathomably excessive quantity. In May, that is right down to 87.3 mph. They’re hitting .167 towards the pitch in May, down from .417 in April. For the time being, pitching down with the fastball is working for Megill.

Milwaukee has a lot depth that Megill’s demotion out of the nearer function hasn’t harm them. Abner Uribe is getting save possibilities and workhorse lefty Aaron Ashby is getting the sport’s largest outs no matter inning. He’s entered video games as early because the fifth inning this yr. The greatest model of the Brewers has Megill in a late-inning function although. Maybe pitching down will get him again there.