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PCL1 Las Vegas Aviators

Taking Flight with â?¦ PCL Player of the Week Seth Brown

July 29, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


It's usually a difficult chore for the Pacific Coast League's powers-that-be to reach a consensus on the league's Player of the Week. After all, with 16 teams each carrying roughly a dozen professional hitters, and those hitters playing in a league where football-like final scores are more the norm than the exception, there are multiple worthy candidates almost every week.

This past week, however, Aviators first baseman Seth Brown made sure there would be nothing for the PCL's voters to debate. That's what happens when you belt eight home runs, collect 13 RBI and score 12 times, as Brown did in six games last week, all against the El Paso Chihuahuas. Brown's monster performance made him the no-doubt choice for PCL Player of the Week, which he was awarded Monday.

Brown becomes the fourth Aviators player to receive a league honor in 2019. Outfielder Mark Payton has been named PCL Player of the Week twice, most recently two weeks ago, while infielder/outfielder Franklin Barreto was named PCL Player of the Month for June just days after being promoted to the Oakland A's, where he's currently playing.

Occupying his customary cleanup spot in all six games against El Paso, Brown recorded at least one hit in every game, had multiple hits four times, had multiple home runs three times and racked up an astonishing 38 total bases. He also had five walks and finished the week 12-for-25 to lift his season average from .276 to .291, the highest it's been since May 14.

The 27-year-old from Klamath, Oregon, not only continues to lead the Aviators in home runs with 27, but that total ties him for fourth place in the entire PCL. Brown also has a team-high 81 runs and is third on the team with 75 RBI, figures that rank third and seventh, respectively, in the PCL.

Making those numbers all the more impressive is that this is Brown's first Triple-A season, as he spent all of last year in Double-A Midland (Texas). Unlike Las Vegas Ballpark, Midland - and actually the entire Texas League - is a difficult place to hit, especially for power hitters. Sure enough, Brown went deep just 14 times last season, but he did bat a career-high .283 and collected 75 RBI.

This year, he's on pace to shatter his single-season highs of 30 homers and 83 runs scored, and he has an outside shot of eclipsing his career-high of 109 RBI. With the numbers he's put up this season, the left-handed hitting slugger surely has opened the eyes of the A's talent evaluators, not to mention dozens of big-league scouts.

Certainly, if he continues to pound the baseball like he has in 2019, it's hard to believe that Brown, who is in his fifth year of professional baseball, won't soon earn that first trip to the major leagues. But for now, the former 19th-round draft pick out of Lewis-Clark State in Indiana is content to keep honing his craft in Las Vegas as he tries to achieve his goal of getting better every day.

We recently caught up with Brown to discuss a variety of on- and off-field topics, including his development as a power hitter, his deceptive speed, his hidden talents and what he thinks about the speculation that the ball is juiced.

When did you first realize you were a power hitter?

I would probably say my last year of college, when I ended up hitting 23 homers. That's when it kind of hit me that I could make homers a part of my game. It's funny, because I've always been a guy who wanted to hit for average, but what I've figured out as I've continued playing [professionally] is that as long as I can hit the ball hard consistently, my homers are going to happen, because I have a swing that will project homers.

Do you remember the first time you hit a ball over the fence for a home run?

Yeah, I do, actually. It was in Little League, my dad was coaching third base and [the opposing pitcher] was throwing a knuckleball - in Little League! [Laughs.] I can't even remember how old I was - it was a long time ago. But I remember the whole thing, including not even knowing where the ball went.

What's it been like getting to swing the bat this year at Las Vegas Ballpark?

It's not just this park, but this entire league. When you're a hitter in this league, it's nice to know that you don't have to really crush a ball to get it out. But you've also got these pitchers who have great arms, guys who are big leaguers, so when you're facing them, it helps to know that you don't have to be perfect [to get a hit]. When you're going up to the plate with that mindset of 'I've got to be perfect,' it puts a lot of pressure on yourself. But here in the PCL, it's like, 'Hey, I don't have to be perfect.' That takes a little [weight] off your shoulders."

Explain to those of us who will never experience the feeling what it's like to square up a baseball and crush it 450 feet.

Just picture the best feeling you can ever have and probably multiply it by three or four. There's really nothing like it, when you know that you've hit one just about as good as you could possibly hit it. You don't even feel it off the bat. It's tough to describe, other than to say it's one of the best feelings in the world.

Not only are you an accomplished power hitter, but you're 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts this year, and going back to last season, you've successfully swiped 11 consecutive bases. How does a 6-foot-3, 220-pound guy become a threat on the basepaths?

Homers are just part of the game, but I wanted to make it a point this year to steal some more bases, picking and choosing those times when it's smart to run. I've been talking to Fran (Aviators' manager Fran Riordan), trying to have him help me incorporate that in my game a little bit more, because I think I'm a guy who can steal bases more than people think I can. It's been fun to try and show off [my speed] a little bit.

What's the one skill you have that would surprise people, maybe even your teammates?

Oh boy, I've got a bunch of them. I was in choir and marching band all through high school. I've done every sport you can think of, from racquet ball to swimming. I also play a lot of video games. My go-to right now is between Battlefield and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds - PUBG is what everyone calls it. But I would say the most surprising thing would be that I was in choir and I can play drums and guitar. I played drums in jazz band starting in junior high all the way through high school.

What goes into choosing a walkup song?

It depends on how I'm feeling, so I change them all the time. Like, "OK, this month I want to be a little more aggressive," so I'll pick a song that puts me in a particular mindset. Right now, it's "Arieals" by System of a Down - I'm trying to have that intensity and aggression.

If you could trade swings with any of your teammates, who would it be?

Obviously, right now, it's gotta be Corban Joseph (who leads the PCL with a .385 batting average). I mean, the guy is unconscious. He goes out there and it seems effortless for him to get two or three hits a game.

Who's the one Aviators pitcher you wouldn't want to face in a crucial situation?

Probably Daniel Mengden (who is now with the A's). That guy brings an intensity to the game and to the mound that you can feel when he's pitching. He wants to win more than anybody else out there when he's on the bump. He's got that aggression and that mindset that he will not lose, so facing him in a big situation would be pretty fun.

Given that you're a power hitter who has blasted 27 homers already, the question has to be asked: Do you think the baseball is juiced?

Oh, no, no. The power comes from the pitcher anyway. Yeah, there are going to be years when the ball is flying more than others. But the harder these pitchers throw, the farther it's going to go. A lot of fans and [media] think the ball is juiced, and yeah, we're talking maybe 10-15 extra feet depending on the year. But the pitchers are throwing harder and harder every year. You look at El Paso's bullpen, there's not one guy who doesn't throw under 99 mph. When they're throwing that hard, the ball is going to go regardless of who's hitting it. I would say the ball is exactly where it needs to be! [Laughs.]

How much thought do you give to playing in the major leagues?

Obviously, everybody's goal is to get to the big leagues. But I'm happy and feel lucky and blessed that I get to come out here and play. And not just play once every couple of games, but actually get an opportunity to play a lot. Baseball is a game of patience, so coming out here and staying focused on what you need to do every day is the most important thing. I'm pretty happy with the way things are going.

Finish this sentence: I'll know I've had a successful career if ...

... I can walk away from this game with no regrets, left nothing on the table and knowing I gave it my absolute 100 percent and didn't leave anything to chance.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 29, 2019


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