DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Scouts and evaluators don’t hand out 80 grades with much generosity. Touching the top end of the 20-to-80 scale in baseball means you’re not just good in that one area, you’re elite.

When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. earned an 80 grade for his hitting ability prior to the 2018 season, it was the first time MLB Pipeline had ever done so for that tool. There’s another 80 grade in the Blue Jays’ system now in Canadian outfielder Dasan Brown’s speed, and the gifted Canadian is focusing on putting himself in a better position to let that shine.

That position? On base.

It starts with Brown’s swing, which has been a work in progress but taken strides recently. When he was 6, 10 or 14 years old, Brown could step onto any ball field and be the best player there without giving it much thought. Now, with some pro experience and maturation, that’s changing.

“I was relying on my athletic ability to get my swing off. Now I’m focusing on the mechanical side," Brown said. "As I’m starting to get older, I’m starting to figure out what does and doesn’t work. My thing is that I’m trying to get out of that and get back to the place where I can trust myself and let my abilities take over, but without that base, that’s not possible.”

Building a fundamental base involves setting some pride aside and “being OK looking bad” in the cages the odd time, Brown says. It’s necessary, though, because if Brown is able to reach base consistently, his elite speed and plus defense are more than enough to round out a complete player at the next level. In a farm system still in need of some outfield depth to emerge, that could be incredibly valuable.

“I’ve always had the hand speed,” Brown said. “It’s never been about what I need to get, it’s been about putting that consistency together and hitting the ball hard every time.”

Up 15 pounds from the end of the 2021 season, Brown is now at 200 pounds in camp. He was already generating some strong exit velocity numbers in recent seasons when he managed to square up the ball, but now his focus is on using his lower body more in his swing. That’s where biomechanics come in, an expertise of Minor League hitting coach Jamie Vieira. Brown is a special case, because he has the infectious energy coaches love to work with but knows how to channel it properly, too.

“Dasan is a super athlete who can get into positions that a lot of our guys can’t get into,” Vieira said. “Taking somebody who wants to practice all the time and wants to have success right away can be challenging, but also very exciting. You want the guy who wants to spend all of their time in the cage, because they want to get better. He’s great to work with. He has the ability to take a step back, process what you’re giving him and not take too much or get overwhelmed.”

Keeping that level head is key to all of this, too. Brown hit .212 over 51 games in Low-A Dunedin last season and could get a second taste of that level in 2022.

“A lot of the work that I’ve been doing comes back to relaxing and letting myself go,” Brown explained. “It’s not about the ability. I know I’m able to run. I know I’m able to get bags. This is about the confidence that, at any moment, I can get that bag. I’m trying to free myself up and let my instincts take over.”

In the past, Brown was ready to run the second he reached base, which too often resulted in bad jumps or running on inopportune pitches. Now, he knows that if he waits for a good spot, he’s fast enough to steal the base every single time.

That speed is what makes Brown’s defense so natural, too. If a ball is in the gap, he’s getting there, and he credits a diverse background in sports -- from football to track, basketball and volleyball -- for helping him make adjustments on the fly as a pure athlete, not just a baseball player.

Brown continued the recent pipeline of Canadian talent in the MLB Draft in the third round in 2019, so the missed '20 season has to be factored into his development timeline, too. Brown is the exact type of prospect who needs reps to help refine his raw talents, so few players in the organization will benefit from a full season in ’22 as much as the 20-year-old. Brown’s performance at the plate will be the deciding factor in all of this, but once he’s on base, nobody’s catching him.