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Revision as of 00:57, 10 January 2007 by Epeefleche (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)- This article is about the Milwaukee Brewers minor league third baseman. For the Kansas City Royals pitcher see Ryan Braun (Pitcher).
Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983 in Granada Hills, California) is an American right-handed third baseman baseball player with the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.
High school
Braun, who is Jewish, was a 4-year letterman on the Granada Hills High School baseball team, and 3-year team captain and MVP. He pitched in addition to playing shortstop, but stopped pitching after his sophomore year. As a sophomore in 2000 he recorded the highest batting average of his prep career (.456), while posting a .654 on base percentage. As a junior he hit .421 with a .668 OBP. As a senior he batted .451 with OBP of .675. He broke the school record for home runs in a career, with 25.
He was 2-time all-area selection by the Los Angeles Times and a 3-time choice by the Los Angeles Daily News. He was rated the 6th-best shortstop prospect in the country by Team One Baseball, and rated among the top 100 overall prospects by Baseball America.
He graduated in 2002, but went undrafted.
College
Offered scholarships to Stanford and UC-Berkeley, he instead attended the University of Miami, where he was named a 1st-team "Freshman All-American," as well as "National Freshman of the Year" by Baseball America in 2003. He clinched the awards by batting .374 with 74 RBIs and 17 home runs.
During his junior year, his final and most successful at Miami, Braun batted .396 with 18 home runs, 75 RBI, and 26 stolen bases. He was 9th in NCAA Division I in slugging, and 10th in RBIs, and was named to Baseball America's 2005 College All-American Team as the DH. These stats eventually earned Braun a spot as one of the finalists for the "Golden Spikes Award," the most prestigious individual award in college baseball.
Minor league career
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Braun in the 1st round (5th overall) in the 2005 Amateur Baseball draft as a third baseman, and Braun signed for $2,450,000. The team's plan is for Braun to join the Brewers infield eventually with teammates Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and J.J. Hardy.
He has demonstrated significant power at the plate. In addition, his speed garnered him comparisons to New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The consensus among pro scouts was that Braun was the most gifted athlete in the 2005 draft, and perhaps the most polished player overall; he is a five-tool player.
Assigned to the Helena Brewers in 2005, Braun batted .341/.383/.585 in 10 games, then found himself up with the West Virginia Power, where he hit .355/.396/.645. Braun was rated the 5th-best prospect in the South Atlantic League.
Braun began 2006 in Single-A Brevard County (Florida) as a member of the Manatees. In 59 games, he hit .274 with 7 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts, earning a spot in the Florida State League All-Star game. On June 21, 2006, Braun was promoted to Class AA Huntsville Stars (Alabama) of the Southern League, where he finished the season with a .303 average, 15 home runs, and 12 stolen bases in 59 games. Collectively between Class A and Class AA, Braun finished with a .289 average, 22 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases.
Braun played in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh.
In 2006 in the Arizona Fall League he hit .326/.396/.641 in 92 at-bats.
On September 23rd, Braun received the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League player of the year award.
Major league career
Milwaukee Brewers
In 2005 Braun was given 6 at bats in the Brewers major league spring training camp, and batted .500.
Defense
Braun is noted for his athleticism. He has a cannon for an arm, and great speed.
Hitting
Braun has the ability to hit for average and power. His swing is compact and short, and he is a pull hitter with very good bat speed and strong wrists. He drives the ball no matter where it is in the strike zone.
Miscellaneous
Braun is one of the highest-drafted Jewish-American athletes in the history of professional baseball. The New York Yankees made Ron Blomberg the number one pick in the 1967 draft.
Braun was considered by some to be the best Jewish minor league baseball prospect in 2006.
His favorite college class was in Philosophy.
His dream date is Pamela Anderson.
The major league player he most admires is Alex Rodriguez.
External links
- Article on Braun's Freshman of the Year Award.
- Ryan Braun Minor League Splits and Situational Stats
- Player Page at Brew Crew Ball