NL DIVISION SERIES: CUBS VS BREWERS

October 5, 2025

Ben Brown

American Family Field

Chicago Cubs

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Ben, how did you kind of process the last couple of weeks of the season with getting option -- how would you describe what your mentality was and how you stayed ready for the possibility of being part of the postseason roster?

BEN BROWN: Yeah, there was really no -- the frustration of getting option to not being there was -- that was kind of on me. I wasn't I was mad at anybody. It wasn't a woe is me situation where I kind of packed it in.

I said this the last time, but there's some really awesome guys down in Triple-A that I was able to work with, and TC and Betsch are the pitching guys there, and being able to have them in Triple-A, I think that's -- I've expressed this before about the Cubs, it's such a top to bottom solid org, just from communication, from the people that are putting in -- there's not a dud.

You're not going to go somewhere and be like, I'm not going to get better here so I won't apply myself. So having those guys to work with, talk through things was huge for me.

It's been huge knowing that -- even when you're up here, it's not like you're panicking about getting sent down. It's what am I going to do next. I was able to continue the work that I wanted to put in, and then in Arizona do that as well.

I was kind of all over the United States for a week, but other than that, it was super productive and solid.

Q. With that background, what was it like getting the news that you were going to be on this roster, and what does that mean to you to be pitching in the postseason?

BEN BROWN: Yeah, two things on that: Even when I was in Iowa and Arizona, I went with the mentality like I expected to be kind of on the roster. Like it was news to me when I wasn't on it. Just mentally I was just prepared to pitch.

I think that was kind of the only way to go about it, just talking to people just to stay locked in.

Then getting the phone call that I was on the roster is just super affirming, and I'm really grateful and blessed to -- it kind of just feels like a little bit of a -- obviously this year didn't go the way I wanted it to personally with our team, but we're in the NLDS, we've done awesome things, we've played awesome baseball, and that aspect has been great.

Personally I did not throw the ball the way I wanted to this year, and I take full accountability for that. It's no one's fault but my own.

Being able to be on the NLDS roster, whether I was the best pitcher in baseball this year or I was absolute worst pitcher in baseball this year, we made it here.

This is the level that we all wanted to be, too. We all wanted to be in the playoffs together, and being able to be a part of it just gives me a lot of confidence, and I'm really grateful, and it truly is a blessing. The Cubs have always believed in me, and I'm really thankful for that.

Q. What was it like to see what the bullpen did in the Wild Card series, and how much pride did you and Aaron take in kind of being able to piece together the bulk innings yesterday and give that group another day to -- another two days to rest and be ready for the rest of the series?

BEN BROWN: Yeah. Sometimes I'll play catch and watch a starter warm up that same day and be like, I couldn't even throw a ball right now because I'm so tired and so sore; meanwhile these guys are throwing nonstop for three days in a row.

Danny threw I felt like five innings. Every day back out there, multiples. Kit obviously doing -- he had three games in a row. BK all year has just been a horse for us. Thielbar has pitched in every tough situation; Drew. I mean, top to bottom, our bullpen has been awesome and huge for us.

That makes it hard when you're not on the roster. You just want to help in any way, but the best way you can help is cheering for them and rooting for them and having the opportunity. Civ is nasty watching him throw yesterday. He's got great stuff. There's a reason why every team wants a piece of Civ.

His curveball is unreal, the way that he executes, the way that he prepares. And him going, I'm not sure what his last outings were like volume-wise up in the Big Leagues, but I know that he was stretched out yesterday from where he has been, so he did a lot for the team.

I was just thankful -- he was the star of the show yesterday. I was just able to finish it up for him and do my job. But great job for Civale. That's the kind of competitor he is and the kind of guy he is, and hopefully that really helped some of the guys out.

Q. You've had some good numbers in your career against Milwaukee. What do you think it is about your stuff that matches up well against them?

BEN BROWN: Yeah, I do aspire to have the same numbers I've had against Milwaukee against every team I face. It's just happened to be so far, so good. There's nothing I'm doing different. There's no preparation I'm doing different.

I will say the fact that we're not hopping on a plane to come here and I get to be with my wife here and we all are pretty comfortable here, it helps. I was always told my first year, or last year, the more and more you go to different ballparks, the more comfortable you get.

There's the same focal points I had last year is the same things I looked at last year, the same locker room I was in last year, the same locker room. If anything there's just a sense of being comfortable here, which is nice. It's a nice feeling to have, just feeling like -- I go to the same coffee shop in the morning, stuff like that. I don't know if there's anything special.

The Brewers have a very good lineup. I've actually executed pitches well. I hope I can execute pitches well against every other team. I just haven't done it as well as I'd like to.

Q. We've talked a lot about resilience with this group throughout the year. What is it going to take for the group as a whole to bounce back from Game 1?

BEN BROWN: Yeah, I don't think anyone was really beat up. It would be silly for us to be beat up losing one game. I don't think anyone was wearing it yesterday. I don't think that the vibes were super low in the clubhouse after a loss. It actually felt like we were just where we needed to be.

It's a testament to the veterans in the clubhouse and the guys that have been in -- I mean, JT at this point has had a full season of baseball playing in the playoffs. He's probably got more service time in the playoffs than I have in the entire Big Leagues alone.

So JT and Carlos and Dans; Dans has won a World Series. Poms, all these guys that have played in the playoffs and lost Game 1s before and have won Game 1s and lost two and -- there's been so many different stories and probably been blown out before and came back and won the next day.

Obviously there's a sense of urgency. We're putting in great work day in and day out, but there's such a veteran and relaxed group in there where we can keep our heads on and really just continue to figure out what's important and figure out what we have to do to win the next day.

They did a great job calming everyone. If anyone was on edge yesterday I'm sure we're in a better spot today just because of the veteran guys we have in the group just making sure we all stay level-headed.

Q. I know maybe game situation wasn't necessarily the time you want to go in, but just to get that postseason experience and to be out there, what can it do for you moving forward?

BEN BROWN: Yeah, kind of swings back to the fact that I'm just so grateful to have a chance to contribute to the team again. It kind of puts a bow or -- pretty bad bow on the season that I had, but it's over. The regular season is over. I get to move on and get to be a part of something new.

Honestly, for every single team out here, it doesn't matter what we did. It's the fact that we're here. It doesn't matter what we did today or yesterday, we have to win tomorrow. Being in the postseason, I'm sure there's plenty of really talented pitchers who haven't had the opportunity to play in the postseason and that's a cool thing I get to take home with me at the end of this year, and it would be really cool to have a World Series ring to go along with it. Just the work doesn't stop.

Q. You said the veterans did a great job of calming everybody down or whatever you said. What does that look like? Can you give an example? Who said what?

BEN BROWN: Not to get super into detail, but JT has just been such a calming voice during clubhouse the entire year. When there's been little ruts he's always been the first guy to speak out. He's always been the first guy to comfort dudes that might be struggling or just to stand next to someone.

I never felt -- like JT, I had such a challenging year this year and JT has always been so huge for me, and he's always the first -- he's always one of the first voices we hear when we're struggling or we need just a little calming voice.

We're just so thankful for him and the impact he has on our team and on our lives. He's stepped up as such a leader, a vocal leader on the team and someone we all look up to.

There's not a lot of people on this team anymore that have the kind of experience that JT has, and it's just been really cool to lean on him, especially in situations like this where a lot of us are very new to this or whatever the case is.