What are you more worried about: Prince with no homers or Braun with no walks?

[clancyphile]

Let's see: The Brewers are 8-4, doing it with Braun, Weeks, and Fielder in slumps to start the season, and we're COMPLAINING?

 

I'm tempted to quote that famous exclamation from Chris in Team America...

[Glennron]

I'll say Ryan Braun. I mean I know it's 12 games, but 53 consecutive plate appearances without a walk? That seems pretty hard to do. Obviously no

one was expecting him to walk a ton but it'd be nice if he could get one every 2-3 games.

[Darnell Junior]

Prince with no homers through 12 games or Braun with no walks? I'm going to have to go with Braun. At this point I don't know why opposing pitchers are even throwing him anything to hit with runners on, as his approach really looks awful thus far. Prince has too much power for this drought to go on much longer, but pitchers are going to figure Braun's Francoeur-esque approach pretty soon. He's proven last year that he can make some adjustments and hopefully he does so again this year, but he's too good of a hitter to waste at-bats by swinging at junk.

[logan82]

Nothing. It's just to early.

[splitterpfj]

Neither really, but I will say that I'm glad they've been switched in the lineup now. I expect both guys to be fine, but if I have to pick one, I do

wish Braun would relax and take a pitch or two.

[Time for a Miller]

I'm more worried about the lack of walks. Not really a big deal, but he's been swinging at some pretty junky pithches. He's to good a hitter not to

figure it out though. Just make sure you don't blame his struggles at the plate on his learning a new defensive position.

[Tbadder]

I think it's kind of fun to compare Fielder to Braun right now. Fielder doesn't look half bad, trying to spray the ball around, fouling off pitches.

Then there's Ryan, poor Ryan, his first taste of reality in the big leagues. He's completely lost. But what I appreciate is this new belief of his that

the strike zone actually extends 12 inches from the outside corner of the physical plate--you gotta admire that kind "stick to your guns" attitude.

[rluzinski]

I'm more worried about Braun because he had almost no plate discipline last year, either. Prince is a much more proven commodity.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think Braun would learn alot about how he's being pitched by just taking a random AB during a game with the mindset that he's not going to swing at anything, no matter what the count is. My guess is that he'd get his first walk of the season. The Met announcers were saying it all weekend, and it's proving to be true - pitchers currently don't have to throw Braun 3 strikes during the course of an AB to get him out.

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't know if Braun's stike zone judgment will lead him to a Vlad Guerrero type career or an Estrada one. One I'd be fine with the other not so.

[Ennder]

Definitely Braun though I think both will be ok. Braun seemed to be making the adjustment in the minors with his plate discipline so I think he'll eventually make it in the majors.

[JohnBriggs12]

I agree with rluzinski. HR's tend to come in bunches but I'm still seeing Braun swing at ball 4. He did it a lot last year (his only real weakness) and he's not goint to get pitches to hit even ahead in counts if he keeps expanding the zone.

[Fatter than Joey]

Braun for reasons above.

[sgtcluels]

I'm with russ. Braun (And Billy) need a bit more plate discipline. Once they start walking and their OBP increases they should hopefully see better pitches. Last year once Prince stopped trying to hit everything out of the park and actually worked the count a bit. You saw the pitchers being more aggressive "pounding that meat" and the balls started being launched. Maybe Kendall needs to give Brauny some of his wicked Lasik eyesight!

[joepepsi]

I'm worried about Braun; not really about Prince at all. He only walked 29 times last year. This could be the biggest fall of all time for a ROY, if he doesn't stop swinging at every pitch.

[decktard]

This could be the biggest fall of all time for a ROY, if he doesn't stop swinging at every pitch.

You must've missed the Pat Listach years...

[tristarscoop]

I'm not too worried about either, yet. If Ryan doesn't settle down soon, I think we'll have cause for concern, but as mentioned above, for awhile Prince was swinging for the fences with every pitch. When he realized the weight wasn't all on his shoulders to go yard every time, he found his groove. It seems like me that Ryan's trying entirely to hard to be the superstar every at-bat.

 

He does an interview on Kiss in Milwaukee every Thursday morning and for the most part it's fluff, but he did say that he goes directly to the video room after every AB to analyze his swing and the pitches, etc. IF that's the case, it's a little worrisome. If you see a pitcher the first go round, analyze his stuff and your approach and then the second go round do the same thing all over again, that's going to be a problem.

[TooLiveBrew]

Braun has never had to adjust to MLB pitching adjusting to him before. I'd guess (just a guess) that it's going to take a bit longer than him re-adjusting in college & the minors. He's such a student of his own game that I'd be surprised if his approach doesn't improve at this level, just as it did at the lower levels.

[RyDogg66]

Bob Hamelin?

[jhart05]

Braun. For many of the same reasons as have already been mentioned.