Eric Brown Jr., Back Home in the Southern League

Despite starting his first full season in the Southern League in 2024 with the Biloxi Shuckers, Milwaukee Brewers’ prospect Eric Brown Jr. is also familiar with playing in the South. The Arizona-born infielder finished his high school career as a Parkway Panther in Bossier City, Louisiana, where he hit .523 with 19 extra-base hits including six home runs during his senior campaign en route to becoming the second-ranked shortstop in the state of Louisiana in the Class of 2019 per Perfect Game.

From seafood boils with friends and family to family recipes passed down through generations. One of the most iconic things about life and culture in the South is the food. Being closer home allows Brown to enjoy homemade salmon and spaghetti when visiting family, but he also embraces the spice when able to eat crayfish.

The path to becoming Milwaukee’s first-round selection in 2022 wasn’t a straightforward ride. For Brown, recruitment left him with limited options until a great junior offseason that included showcases and tournaments that ended with 17 offers to play at the next level.

“It was strange, going through high school,” Brown Jr. said about his recruitment process “I wasn’t a big prospect. I didn’t get many offers right out of the shoot. It definitely was a learning process for me.”

Brown chose to attend Coastal Carolina University, located in Conway, South Carolina, made an immediate impact as a freshman and started in each of his three seasons as a Chanticleer. He finished his career with a .306 average, 16 home runs and 86 RBI over 123 total collegiate games. Brown would collect numerous awards including the 2021 Sun Belt second-team, and the 2022 Sun Belt Player of the Year by D1baseball.com and Perfect Game.

“It definitely built a lot of confidence in not only myself but also in trusting in God’s plan and understanding that everything happens for a reason,” Brown said. “It may take longer than we may expect. We always want a microwave mindset of wanting something to happen at the snap of a finger but at the end of the day trusting in your talent and the plan is all that matters”

As part of a highly touted 2022 draft class, Brown Jr. was selected 27th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers. Two years later, he’s already progressed four levels in Minor League Baseball, bringing both success and learning moments.

“This game is gonna come with struggles and it happens throughout life,” Brown said. “Life comes with struggles understanding you’re gonna have good and bad days so you just have to maintain a center.”

The jump from High-A Wisconsin to Double-A Biloxi also brings unique experiences playing in different conditions.

“In Wisconsin, you have the snow and the cold but it’s baseball when you’re playing an outdoor sport you don’t know how the conditions are gonna be”, Brown said.

The change from a chilly to a hot climate prepares Brewer's prospects to obtain a taste of handling a variety of challenges associated with the weather.

The sure-handed Brown, who has kept a fielding percentage over .950 throughout college and his young pro career, is finding new ways to expand his game. The addition of stolen bases, which has seen Brown swipe over 65 bases in his pro career, has added another element to his game.

“Ever since I got to pro ball stealing has started to be my thing,” Brown explained. “Understanding that speed is part of my game now so whatever I can do to create havoc or whatever I can do to produce runs. So stolen bases are part of it and so I enjoy giving the pitcher and catcher a tough time”

In the clubhouse, Brown Jr. is also surrounded by a number of teammates who he’s risen through the ranks with, including plenty of teammates from his time with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2023.

“We enjoy each other and we enjoy each other's presence which makes playing on the field a lot easier,” Brown Jr. said. “We’re here to have fun and show up on the diamond.”