(Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images)
The routine: adjustment of the Nike batting gloves, tug of the No. 8 jersey, pointing of the bat towards the pitcher, the cocking of the slightly angled bat just above his head.
The eyes are filled with fire and determined intensity, reminding the pitcher not to make a mistake.
The swing is elegant yet so violent, leading to well-hit ball after well-hit ball. The stroke bedazzles onlookers and sprays balls all over the field.
The bat is 35 inches and has knocked 87 balls over the fence, posted a .307 batting average, and driven in 260 runs.
The face is recognizable throughout baseball, making him a fan favorite. He was asked to be "The Bachelor" on ABC's hit show.
The man is Ryan Braun. A 200-pound former first-rounder from Mission Hills, Calif.
The accolades collected are amazing: 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, 2008 (and soon-to-be 2009) All-Star starter, 2008 Silver Slugger, third in 2008 NL MVP voting, 2009 USA World Baseball Classic team member, 2008 Brewers Player of the Year, and fan favorite at Miller Park.
He is a mere 25 years of age, yet posting numbers similar to those of Hall-of-Famers. Through 339 games his home run total of 87 dingers is reminiscent to the numbers of guys with the names the Splendid Splinter and Phat Albert, just to name two.
To put his numbers into comparison, all-time home run king Barry Bonds did not reach 87 homers until his fifth Major League season (though Barry's numbers clearly were tainted).
If Braun continues to hit at this rate, he will reach 600 home runs in his 15th Big League season. Bonds only had 494 home runs after he completed his 15th season.
But Ryan Braun possesses many more assets to his game then pure power.
Braun gets on base. His career batting average is .307, a good mark for any hitter. He hits the ball where it is pitched, often poking the ball to right field, to reach base. His career on-base percentage is .364, but in 2009, he has reached base .416 of the time.
In 2008 he led the league in extra base hits with 83. Braun hits .521 when he pulls the ball and .378 when he hits it to right field, which has happened 188 times. He hits .610 to the outfield, .341 when he puts the ball in play, and .411 when he hits the ball fair.
Braun is comfortable in any count. He has 31 career home runs with two strikes on him. He has seven homers with an 0-2 count, and still gets on base more than 20 percent of the time in those situations. When pitchers fall behind, Braun crushes them, hitting .340 with 32 homers after a 1-0 count.
He hits .363 on the first pitch. Braun is also patient in waiting to get a good pitch. Ryan has never put a 3-0 pitch into play, instead either taking a free pass or waiting for a 3-1 count. Braun is very comfortable with two strikes, as 689 of his 1,346 career at-bats have come with two strikes.
Braun is clutch. Ryan Braun is not rattled by pressure. He consistently gets the big hit, coming through in the clutch time-after-time. When the team is within one run, he has 40 home runs, obviously pulling the game to a tie or a Milwaukee lead. Braun hits .350 in the ninth inning and his OPS is 1.027 in the inning.
Sign up now to receive our Milwaukee Brewers newsletter. All the best articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web delivered to your inbox twice a week.
2 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete