- September 7, 2024
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One thing that could be counted on during Canyon Brown’s high school and college baseball career, is that if his team was playing a game, Brown would be stationed behind the plate.
The catcher hopes that trend will continue as he embarks on his professional baseball career. The 2021 Seabreeze High School graduate was selected by the Kansas Royals with the second pick in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft on July 15.
Brown was the 257th pick overall, which has a pick value signing bonus of $200,600. Brown signed on July 21 and flew to Arizona to begin his pro baseball career.
Brown was Seabreeze’s starting catcher for four years and then started all three years behind the plate for North Carolina A&T State University.
“He started every single game for us,” Seabreeze baseball coach Jeff Lemon said. “I could never take him out of the lineup. He had the work ethic and determination to be the guy. We would ask him, ‘Do you want to take a day off and be the (designated hitter)?’ He’d say, ‘No, I need to be behind the plate.”
His catching skills is what enticed MLB scouts. The Aggies’ junior threw out 27 of 57 runners attempting to steal a base this season, and he had a strong performance at the MLB Draft Combine, showcasing a strong arm and superior catching skills. Lemon said Brown was like a coach on the field for the Sandcrabs, calling almost all of the pitches since his freshman season.
“When he was in high school, myself or our pitching coach called maybe 10 pitches,” Lemon said.
The only question about Brown's pro potential has been his offensive skills, but he’s improved throughout his college career, batting .310 with a .414 on-base percentage and a .492 slugging percentage this season.
When Brown was being recruited in high school, Lemon said college coaches asked him if he thought Brown could hit on the Division I level.
“His catching and throwing ability were already one of the best in the country,” Lemon said. “After his freshman year at North Carolina A&T you saw how he matured at the plate.”
