McCade Brown’s season like a year-long Christmas

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Christmas came a little early for Normal West grad McCade Brown.

In August, he was sent to his manager’s office in class AA Hartford.

“I thought they were going to tell me I’m going to AAA,” Brown said. “But they said AAA is a little far away so we’re going to have you meet up with the (big league) team in Pittsburgh instead.”

To his surprise, Brown was promoted to the big leagues, he pitched in Pittsburgh that weekend and then stayed with the Colorado Rockies for the rest of the season. A remarkable turn of events for a guy who had major elbow surgery in 2023.

He missed all of the 2023 season and most of the 2024 season will recovering from Tommy John surgery. His promotion to the Major League Baseball is also quite the story for a guy who thought he was a way better soccer goalie than baseball pitcher as a kid.

That changed with a pitching lesson with Josh Kauten at Rhino’s K’s Academy in Bloomington.

“I had a lesson with Josh and he cleaned some things up,” Brown explained. “Next thing you know, baseball took off. Junior year (of high school), it flipped around.”

He became less of a soccer goalkeeper and more of a pitching prospect. The 6-6 righty signed with Indiana and pitched in the Big Ten then was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft by Colorado.

“The frame was there and the arm action,” said Kauten. “You could see the writing on the wall that this could be something. But the credit is all his.”

Brown is home for the winter, healthy and getting ready for spring training. The former Normal West soccer goalie is hoping to earn a spot in the Colorado Rockies’ starting rotation to start the season.

“I feel great. Previous offseasons I had little things here and there hindering me,” said Brown. “This offseason has been good. It’s been nice and I’m excited for a big year hopefully.”

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