Ryan Braun: Is He Now the 2012 NL MVP Favorite?

There seems to be a collective sigh of relief spreading across Major League Baseball.  Ryan Braun has won his appeal, and his PED suspension has been overturned.

My faith has been restored.

Braun has easily been a favorite for fans and writers alike since coming up with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007.  Back in April, I wrote a piece on my personal blog that pretty much showered Braun with praise and described how he has become one of my favorite (and at the time, underpaid) players to watch.

Braun is exciting and young.  He breathes life into the Brewers franchise.

Then... the poo hit the fan, so to speak, as he was accused of PED usage on the heels of his being voted the 2011 NL MVP.

I was devastated.  Braun represented a player in the post-steroid era who played the game right and was rewarded for it.  He was young, exciting and productive.  Now, it appeared that he was Barry Bonds 2.0 in the making. 

Okay, maybe that's a bit much.

But the point is, Braun was and is more than just a face of the Brewers franchise—he is part of the face of the modern Major League Baseball star.  Let's face it: since coming into the league, the man has absolutely dominated.  He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007 while finishing 24th in the MVP voting.  On top of that, he has been an All-Star and Silver Slugger four times, and each year has finished third, 11th, 15th and first in MVP voting respectively since 2007.

While many people (myself included) jumped to conclusions and thought the man to be guilty, he has proven many wrong—at least beyond reasonable doubt.

That means that I take back my previously stated allegation that Ryan Braun should be omitted from future Hall of Fame consideration.

In fact, looking forward to the 2012 season, Braun could once again repeat as the NL MVP.

No, seriously.

I love Matt Kemp as much as the next guy, but Braun has been damn good since arriving on the Brewers' roster.  The career .312 hitter has put up incredible numbers with the aid of a beast like Prince Fielder in the lineup with him.

The question is, can he replicate his success without Fielder?

While the Brewers have brought in Aramis Ramirez to mildly quell the loss of offense from Fielder's departure, Braun is still going to be the spotlight player on the offense.

Is there any reason to believe that he will slow down in 2012?  Braun has gotten this gigantic monkey off of his back, and now he can fully concentrate on playing baseball... and on proving himself worthy of being the MVP.

Brewers fans should be prepared for Braun to produce an amazing season.  Any time a great player has a chip on his shoulder, it can only call for great things to come.

Is Ryan Braun going to be the favorite for the 2012 NL MVP? It is a bit early to definitively say yes.

However, Braun is going to make some major waves, and the Brewers are going to be a viable franchise for as long as he is trolling left field for them.