Braves Bring Back A Familiar Evaluator With A Strong Track Record

Dana Brown brings his keen scouting acumen back to the Braves, enhancing their front office with strategic insights and a history of successful player evaluations.

Dana Brown is headed back to Atlanta.

According to Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic, Brown is rejoining the Braves as a senior advisor to the amateur scouting department, putting him back alongside president and general manager Alex Anthopoulos. A league source confirmed the move to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because the personnel decision had not been finalized.

Brown’s first run with the Braves stretched from 2019 to 2022, and it left a clear mark. He was part of the group that helped build a World Series winner, and he was credited with identifying several of Atlanta’s current and former standouts, including Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, and Tyler Matzek.

Anthopoulos has been open about how much he valued Brown’s conviction in the draft room. Speaking about Harris, Anthopoulos said, “Dana Brown is joining the Atlanta Braves as a senior advisor to the amateur scouting department, reuniting with president and general manager Alex Anthopoulos, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move that had not been finalized.”

He also recalled Brown pushing hard for Strider and Matzek.

“I remember Dana telling me he was a top-five high-school bat in the draft - he wrote it in his report as well - and that we had to take him,” Alex Anthopoulos said. “He wasn’t highly touted at all and Dana wanted to take him in the third round. I remember asking him if he was sure we needed to take him that high and he was adamant.

“He did the same thing with Spencer Strider (the Braves’ fourth-round pick) in 2020. I’ve been with him a long time and when he’s that convicted I stay out of the way.

One other time he pounded for us to sign a player was Tyler Matzek when he was in Indy ball. It was August (2019), minor league season was about to be over and he wouldn’t let it go so we signed him to a two-year minor-league contract.

Dana doesn’t bat 1.000, no one does but when he’s passionate about something, I’ve learned the smart move is to listen.”

Brown’s return comes after he and the Astros mutually agreed to part ways during the season, and the reunion in Atlanta now gives the Braves another familiar and proven voice in the front office.

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