Ryan Braun Triple Crown Thread

[HiAndTight]

Would like to see his OPS over 1.000 and his OBP well over .400 as I am hopeful that he will be someday be looked at as one of the all-time greats. I order to do that he needs to have several seasons with an OPS over 1.000 and he only has one so far in his career. Would also like to see him have over 40 HR's in a season but that is very unlikely this year

There is only one guy in baseball with an OPS over 1.000 this year. Braun has the 4th highest OPS in baseball right now. 40 HR does seem out of the question.

Yeah, but he's saying he wants to see Braun end up as an all-time great. I don't think he's being unrealistic. Braun's amazing. If you were talking about Weeks, or anyone in baseball right now not named Miguel, Albert or...I guess maybe Adrian, it's probably unrealistic.

 

The OBP is the thing that's going to really be the deciding factor for me if he's "just" a HOF type player or if he's one of the true greats. Top 20 or so of all time. It's actually amazing to me that he's been able to up his BB rate into the teens...though he's fallen off a bit and I think he's around 11% or so now. If he can stay there, the sky's the limit for him. It kinda reminds me of the same arc that Vlad's career took. Though I hope Braun can stay a little stronger though his latter years.

[jjfanec]

Yeah, but he's saying he wants to see Braun end up as an all-time great. I don't think he's being unrealistic. Braun's amazing. If you were talking about Weeks, or anyone in baseball right now not named Miguel, Albert or...I guess maybe Adrian, it's probably unrealistic.

 

The OBP is the thing that's going to really be the deciding factor for me if he's "just" a HOF type player or if he's one of the true greats. Top 20 or so of all time. It's actually amazing to me that he's been able to up his BB rate into the teens...though he's fallen off a bit and I think he's around 11% or so now. If he can stay there, the sky's the limit for him. It kinda reminds me of the same arc that Vlad's career took. Though I hope Braun can stay a little stronger though his latter years.

Yeah I realize what he was saying. I should have clarified. I was actually just surprised there was only one guy with an OPS over 1.000. I would love to see Braun become one of the all time greats but you are right the walk rate needs to come up and he needs to avoid the month long, injury related slumps

[topper09er]

If he is going to be an all-time great he needs to lead the league in things, many important things, like HRs, OPS etc. Right now he has 1 SLG title and 1 hit title, not special at all. Look at all the bold on Pujols' stats, that is what all the all-time greats look like. I think Braun will end up looking like a HOF talent but underrated because he will only win 1/0 MVPs. Maybe comparable to someone like Chipper or Eddie Murray

[Warning Track Power]

If he is going to be an all-time great he needs to lead the league in things, many important things, like HRs, OPS etc. Right now he has 1 SLG title and 1 hit title, not special at all. Look at all the bold on Pujols' stats, that is what all the all-time greats look like. I think Braun will end up looking like a HOF talent but underrated because he will only win 1/0 MVPs. Maybe comparable to someone like Chipper or Eddie Murray

Interesting. Pujols has only led the league twice in HRs and once each in AVG and RBI. I would've expected him to have at least 3 of each. Not minimizing, just saying I was surprised. His run totals are astounding. 5x leading the league in 10+ seasons. Wow...I hate that guy.

 

 

[topper09er]

After thinking about it a little bit I think a good comp for Braun when he is all done will be Al Kaline. A solid guy who never led the league in much and never won an MVP (2 2nd place finishes and 1 3rd), appeared in a lot of all-star games, didnt play a lot of full seasons and held on long enough for some major milestones.

 

Also, it appears we are about to enter a bit of a pitcher's era which will make Braun's numbers look bad compared to his '90s predecessors even though he was a better player than most of them. A similar thing happened to Kaline as his early 30s were spent in the late 60s. Kaline finished with 91 WAR which is 34 all-time but I would think based on looking at his raw stats most people would not guess he ranks 34 in WAR.

[joepepsi]

I was actually just surprised there was only one guy with an OPS over 1.000.

Well, Prince's OPS was over 1.000 just 8 games ago. He just needs top get out of his little slump.

[chickinbrickin]

After thinking about it a little bit I think a good comp for Braun when he is all done will be Al Kaline. A solid guy who never led the league in much and never won an MVP (2 2nd place finishes and 1 3rd), appeared in a lot of all-star games, didnt play a lot of full seasons and held on long enough for some major milestones.

 

Also, it appears we are about to enter a bit of a pitcher's era which will make Braun's numbers look bad compared to his '90s predecessors even though he was a better player than most of them. A similar thing happened to Kaline as his early 30s were spent in the late 60s. Kaline finished with 91 WAR which is 34 all-time but I would think based on looking at his raw stats most people would not guess he ranks 34 in WAR.

It is a decent comparison, but I think Braun will go down as more than just a solid guy who never lead the league in much or won an MVP. Most people around the game, not just Brewer's supporters, think Braun will be one of the best hitters of this generation when it is all said and done. If he stays healthy he will have a legit chance to get to 3000 hits and 500 HR. Currently, at 819 hits and 148 HR a little over half way through his 5th year in the bigs.

 

He is only getting better and better. His approach this year is awesome. There are not many hitters better right now in all of baseball.

[Funketown]

Braun's wRC+ is 176 this season, which is good for 2nd in baseball, behind Jose Bautista (209). From 2007-2011, the MLB wRC+ leaders are as follows:

 

Pujols (166)

A-Rod (150)

Miguel Cabrera (149)

Matt Holliday (148)

Ryan Braun (147)

Prince Fielder (145)

 

He's an exceptional hitter, but I really don't see him being thought of as one of the all time greats. If he keeps up his current pace though, he should have a decent chance at making the Hall on the first ballot.

[joepepsi]

Wow, Kaline is a good comparison, at least through age 27 or so. But I think Kaline deserves much more credit than "a solid guy who never led the league in much or won an MVP". Kaline was probably one of the 5 or 10 best hitters of his generation.

 

Eddie Murray through age 27 season had a 142 career *OPS+. Braun's career number is currently 143. He's remembered now as somewhat of a steady, very good, not great player. But the 80's were somewhat of a pitcher's ERA and Eddie was arguably the most feared hitter in the AL for the balance of the decade. Although he never won an MVP, he received more votes during that stretch than any player in either league.

 

There's no shame in Braun being remembered as similar to either of these players, when he hangs up his cleats.

[HiAndTight]

If he is going to be an all-time great he needs to lead the league in things, many important things, like HRs, OPS etc. Right now he has 1 SLG title and 1 hit title, not special at all. Look at all the bold on Pujols' stats, that is what all the all-time greats look like. I think Braun will end up looking like a HOF talent but underrated because he will only win 1/0 MVPs. Maybe comparable to someone like Chipper or Eddie Murray

Yeah, but Braun is 27 years old. There are a number of ways his career could go obviously, but as a guy who's always thought of Prince as the better offensive player...and he still may be, the fact that Braun has upped his walk total I think could be a complete game changer for him. IF he can get to that 13pct and stay there, I think you're looking at some monster seasons. .300+/.400+/.600.

 

Taking more walks, more pitches for great hitters usually translates to better pitchers, and Braun can punish that middle in fastball as well as anyone.

[HiAndTight]

Also, HiAndTight a 10% walk rate is well above the league average for the last several years, so saying if he could "even" manage a 10% walk rate isn't maybe the best phrasing. Braun's last 2 seasons at 8.1 and 8.2 are definitely respectable especially considering he's lowered his strikeout rate to 19.1 and 17.0

 

Yeah, but we're not talking about a league average player. We're talking about a #3 hitter, which I would guess raises the average to much closer to 10 pct, and we're talking about one of the best hitters in the game IMO.

 

So I'll stand by that phrasing.

 

He's an exceptional hitter, but I really don't see him being thought of

as one of the all time greats. If he keeps up his current pace though,

he should have a decent chance at making the Hall on the first ballot.

 

Perhaps not, but I'm hoping to see a bit of a bump from in his prime years, much like the one we're seeing this year. I've already stated what I think he's capable of. And if he could steal 30 bags a year over his prime years(27-31) there is something to be said for that as well.

 

And with respect to your list, I think you've got two players on there who could end up being in that elite, elite group of hitters in Pujols, who may go down as one of the top 6-7 hitters of all time and one of the, if not the best RH'ed hitter ever, and Cabrera who is on a level just below. Though I have much less confidence in the later maintaining.

 

 

Finally, with regard to Kaline, that may be a good comp, but it's still my hope that he can finish up a notch above him.

[EinhornIsFinkle]

Man if he wouldn't have missed those games after the MN series he would have actually had a chance at the triple crown. As of right now he is 5 home runs (7th place) and 10 RBI's (5th place) behind. This would have been the year to win it as nobody is really having a great power season in the NL.

[djoctagone]

he had a memorable grand slam against the pirates in 2008 . . . a few of those, some based loaded doubles (along with a slumping kemp), and it's possible.

[RightFieldCoder]

The problem is that we want the Dodgers to win from here on out.

[DuWayne Steurer]

The problem is that we want the Dodgers to win from here on out.

Braun's personal accolades mean less to me (and probably Braun) than home field advantage.