WATCH: AJ Brown trolls his son about leaving home to become an elite baseball player, says it ‘hurts to be great’

In honor of MLB Opening Day, AJ Brown posted a video on Instagram of him trolling his son about leaving his mother and home to become a great baseball player.

Honestly, the delivery was perfect and AJ Jr seemed to be locked in on playing baseball and going to “baseball school” to become the next elite athlete in the family. That was until AJ Brown decided to let Jr know that he would have to leave home and more importantly his mother, reminding his son that it’s going to hurt if he wants to be great.

AJ Brown: “Say goodbye to your mom… she gonna be there… for lunch and dinner.”

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A post shared by A.J. Brown (@1k_alwaysopen)

There’s something spiritually healing about watching AJ Brown mold his son into a future phenom — not by yelling or lecturing, but by straight-up trolling the kid.

I don’t have any kids but the other night I was at my wife’s family’s house and we had all the little kids play the “silent game” while making sure they did not leave the kitchen. It worked to perfection and I can’t wait to do the exact same to my kids.

Unfortunately, I think I would find it a bit harder in turning my son into a a professional baseball and/or football superstar like AJ Brown but it is what it is.

I’m sure most people know this by now but AJ Brown was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Starkville HS in Starkville, MS, after batting an impressive .365 during his senior year.

His selection undoubtedly would have been higher if not for team’s knowledge that Brown intended to attend Ole Miss and play football. Brown joined Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray as just the second ever athlete to play in both the baseball and football Under Armour All-America games.

Check out the Scouting Report for AJ Brown at Under-Armour All-American Game:

A.J. is a physical specimen who plays the OF in baseball and WR in football. He swings the bat with authority from the right side and is one of those special players who have the ball make a different sound off their bat. His WR speed and natural instincts allow him to play CF and the upside for A.J. on the baseball diamond is tremendous.

WATCH: Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown were hitting bombs at Phillies BP >>

Baseball America graded Brown as having 70/80 speed and a quick bat, to go along with his advanced athleticism. If Brown had only been interested in playing baseball, the scouting consensus points to evidence that he would have been taken in the first couple of rounds.

“The way he patrolled center field was very impressive. There was like an ease with the way he could get to balls. He would just kind of glide across the field. The offensive game was going to be a question. Was he going to hit? How much was he going to hit? What was the impact going to be? He was big and strong and could hit the ball a long way.”

When Brown was finished with his freshman and sophomore seasons in Oxford, he traveled to the Padres training complex in Peoria, AZ where he participated in extended spring training, where he took batting practice and caught fly balls in the outfield.

While the Padres still officially hold Brown’s rights as a baseball player, I am sure that Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski could swing a deal for substantially less than the 1st and 3rd round picks Howie Roseman gave up to acquire his services.

Obviously, the Eagles would prefer that AJ Brown remain a one-sport star and someone who catches double digit touchdowns annually for them at the Linc. But the chance to watch Brown roam the outfield for the Phillies in the offseason, like a modern day Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, would be an amazing story for both leagues and honestly something we all need to see.

Could Eagles star WR AJ Brown play Centerfield for the Phillies?

Regardless, AJ Jr is getting the cheat code to greatness and if he was smart, he would be tell his mom that he can’t do anything outside of taking ground balls and at minimum 100 swings a day in the backyard. AJ Jr should be doing cone drills and visualizing MVP seasons while pretending to be Bryce Harper with a whiffle ball bat in the driveway.

Maybe even cut the bottom off and stuff it with wet paper towels to get the arm muscles working? Regardless, he has his father, who could easily be one of the greatest dual-threat athletes in professional sports history to guide him every step of the way.

AJ Brown can add AJ Jr to his mannequin army that he is building in his basement.

AJ Brown just took his mannequin collection to a whole new level 😂

He’s even got his pee wee uniform and his baseball All-American uniform (he was drafted by the Padres). pic.twitter.com/BWUcYrtWZJ

— Kendall Beck (@KBeckEagles) March 15, 2025

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Time for AJ Jr to lean into the grind, absorb the trolling, and embrace the pain. Outside of Justin Crawford, the Phillies’ future in the outfield is looking pretty grim. The 2045 Phillies might just need him hitting behind Bryce Harper’s kid, Krew, and slug .525 while pointing to a basement trophy case just like his dad’s.

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