Baseball | 8/26/2025 3:32:00 PM
GREENSBORO – Canyon Brown arrived at North Carolina A&T State University with a chip on his shoulder, and he had every right to put it there because Brown received only one Division I baseball scholarship offer coming out of Seabreeze High School in Ormond Beach, Fla.
Little did he know that chip and the school that provided him with the opportunity to play Division I would help his dreams of becoming a professional baseball player come true.
The Kansas City Royals drafted the Aggies star catcher in the ninth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. He plays actively on the franchise's High-A affiliate team, the Quad Cities River Bandits.
The Bandits' season comes to an end on Sunday, September 7. At the time of this story, Brown had made 192 plate appearances, recording two home runs, 17 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and nine extra-base hits while playing in 60 games.
He left A&T with the nickname Canon Brown. It appears nothing has changed. He has caught 32 base runners trying to steal. The sting of being overlooked certainly played a role in Brown's accession to the pros. But he gives a lot of credit to the person who took the chance on him, A&T head coach Ben Hall.
"I feel like it's kind of giving me a little advantage," said Brown. "We didn't have the best facilities or anything, but coach Hall, coach (Cliff) Allred, and coach Elliott McCummings definitely did a good job preparing me for the minor leagues and what it's like to grind every day. It's definitely giving me the upper hand."
The A&T baseball staff and players go the extra mile to make sure the nearly 100-year-old War Memorial Stadium is at its best on gameday. Those efforts and the lessons he learned from coach Hall spearheaded his journey to the minors.
In his three seasons at A&T, Brown batted .288 with 18 home runs, 116 RBIs, 34 doubles, seven triples, and 59 extra-base hits. The "Canon" also threw out 69 base runners trying to steal. His impressive caught stealing rate of 47.4% and defensive capabilities caught the Royals attention. He gave up his last year of eligibility to join the Royals organization.
Brown earned first-team All-CAA honors, becoming the first Aggie to earn that distinction. In 2022, he made the Big South Conference's All-Freshman team and honorable all-conference.
He remains motivated to prove a point and continually seeks ways to improve. He considered his rookie year in the league a learning opportunity on how to take care of his body. He focused on being present and prepared during the 2025 season while having a good mindset on and off the field.
Meanwhile, he has some advice for those who will play at A&T after him who may also come there with a chip on their shoulder.
"Work hard. Trust the coaches and trust what they're saying," Brown said. "They care about the players. They really care about getting the guys better. Nothing is going to be handed to you. Just put your head down and know what the coaches are saying is enough to go win a CAA championship."
