At 17 years old, after getting off to a strong start in his junior baseball season,[1] he suffered a ruptured appendix, was hospitalized for a week and lost 30 pounds (14 kg).
Nonetheless, he added back 15 pounds (6.8 kg) of muscle and finished his senior year with a 1.18 earned run average.
[4][5][6] Brown returned from the injury in 2021 to pitch for the Florida Complex League Phillies and was on the Opening Day roster of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
[14] In his debut, Brown allowed five hits and two walks which yielded six runs in 1+2⁄3 innings pitched along with one strikeout against the Texas Rangers.
[15][16] On April 9, Brown made his first start, giving up three hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4+2⁄3 innings in a win against the San Diego Padres.