Braun Working on a Swing Change

[MrTPlush]

Braun has always used a heavy long bat. He gets great plate coverage and has learned to shoot balls to the right side, but he's always had trouble with hard stuff inside. Since he doesn't turn on the fastballs like he once did, I've always wondered why he didn't go to a lighter bat. No indication that that's part of the plan but realizing he's 35, maybe he should consider a lighter bat?

 

This just seems logical. Shorten the bat by 1.5 inches and stand a couple inches closer to the plate.

 

All you are doing is reorganizing deck chairs. There is a negative to a shorter bat (can't reach as far) and standing closer to the plate (get beat to heck inside more than he does now). You are basically asking him to shorten 1.5 inches and then make up for it by then standing 1.5 inches closer. Can't say that will do much. I would think Ryan Braun tests bats all offseason and tries a lighter and/or shorter bat.

 

I have heard Braun talk about hitting etc. multiple times over the years and would applaud any change he would like to make. I think he has made great adjustments over the years to stay a competent hitter. For many players the thumb injury would have been crippling to their career, but Braun has managed to still be a pretty decent hitter.

 

If he can successfully change his launch angle he should flirt with 30 homers. He was hitting the ball hard last year a lot, but they were turning into outs. That was no fluke and it isn't surprising many became outs...because of his launch angle. I don't know if he can be 2016 Braun, but I would not be shocked if he could manage a high .800 OPS. All that depends on if he can actually get the higher launch angle to successfully AND consistently happen in games.

[Baldkin]

Braun has always used a heavy long bat. He gets great plate coverage and has learned to shoot balls to the right side, but he's always had trouble with hard stuff inside. Since he doesn't turn on the fastballs like he once did, I've always wondered why he didn't go to a lighter bat. No indication that that's part of the plan but realizing he's 35, maybe he should consider a lighter bat?

 

You say that as though it's a fact, but in reality, over the past 3 seasons, Braun has struggled with outside pitches not inside ones, as well as balls down in the zone.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=3410&position=OF&ss=2016-04-04&se=2018-10-01&type=5&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=bat&pitch=&season=all&data=

 

[MrTPlush]

Braun has always used a heavy long bat. He gets great plate coverage and has learned to shoot balls to the right side, but he's always had trouble with hard stuff inside. Since he doesn't turn on the fastballs like he once did, I've always wondered why he didn't go to a lighter bat. No indication that that's part of the plan but realizing he's 35, maybe he should consider a lighter bat?

 

You say that as though it's a fact, but in reality, over the past 3 seasons, Braun has struggled with outside pitches not inside ones, as well as balls down in the zone.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=3410&position=OF&ss=2016-04-04&se=2018-10-01&type=5&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=bat&pitch=&season=all&data=

 

 

You included 2016 which was a good year for Braun inside. If you do just 2018 he was infact pretty terrible with inside pitches too. Compare the last two years to some of the earlier years pre-2015. The change is pretty dramatic.

 

I will say he sucks with the outside pitches to so helping him get inside pitches with a smaller/shorter bat is likely to just negate any help when he sucks even worse on the outside edge. It could actually make him so bad on the outside edge it could be crippling. as a pitcher would be unhittable if hitting the outside edge.

[RobDeer 45]

I see this as white noise at this stage in his career. Strikes me as another one of those offseason stories that gets fans all excited. "Pitcher X is working on a changeup, which could be a huge plus for him." Maybe it helps him a bit, but he's on the declining part of his career. There aren't any fountains of youth..... since banning steroids.

[superfly]

Maybe Braun should just mail it in and sit on the pine 162 games, since he can't seem to please anyone these days.

[lcbj68c]

He's discovered an undetectable "clear" and needs an excuse for when he puts up a .975+ OPS again this season. It was the hitting coach, Yep, that's it (!)

Go Ryan Go!

 

Don't want to hijack the thread, especially given the blue text...but isn't it generally accepted that Ryan was using something strictly during the late summer of the 2011 season, in order to heal quickly for the 2011 post-season? I'm generally apathetic towards PED use anyways, so I largely don't care about Braun or McGwire or anybody who has used. Just thought it was generally accepted that Braun had clean tests before and after and only used during some later months in 2011.

[clancyphile]

He's discovered an undetectable "clear" and needs an excuse for when he puts up a .975+ OPS again this season. It was the hitting coach, Yep, that's it (!)

Go Ryan Go!

 

Don't want to hijack the thread, especially given the blue text...but isn't it generally accepted that Ryan was using something strictly during the late summer of the 2011 season, in order to heal quickly for the 2011 post-season? I'm generally apathetic towards PED use anyways, so I largely don't care about Braun or McGwire or anybody who has used. Just thought it was generally accepted that Braun had clean tests before and after and only used during some later months in 2011.

 

We know he consulted with Biogenesis... and MLB used that to justify re-imposing his suspension, and then tacking on some extra time. It stank to high heaven.

 

But the test sample was mishandled, per the arbitration ruling. Apparently, Braun's team replicated it. It speaks volumes that the arbitrator who ruled in favor of Braun citing the mishandling of the sample was fired AND that MLB and the MLBPA made changes to the procedures.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Can we please stop the Braun steroids discussion right here? Seriously, it's like the song that never ends. That horse has decomposed to dust by now.

[MrTPlush]

It speaks volumes that the arbitrator who ruled in favor of Braun citing the mishandling of the sample was fired AND that MLB and the MLBPA made changes to the procedures.

 

The arbitrator was fired because he ruled against MLB. No matter how legitimate his reasoning the MLB was going to fire anyone who caused them to lose. That is what happens when you rule against the people that pay you.

 

But yah, this topic really doesn't need to consume the thread. It is a nice legitimate thread/topic.

[JosephC]

Can we please stop the Braun steroids discussion right here? Seriously, it's like the song that never ends. That horse has decomposed to dust by now.

 

Nope, Braun and steroids are forever linked. A large part of it was obviously his own doing with all the grandstanding proclamations of innocence and how he was victimized by the system. If some people want to cheer for him, that's perfectly fine. If some people want to make snide remarks about him until the end of time, that should be fine too.

[coolhandluke121]

Can we please stop the Braun steroids discussion right here? Seriously, it's like the song that never ends. That horse has decomposed to dust by now.

 

Nope, Braun and steroids are forever linked. A large part of it was obviously his own doing with all the grandstanding proclamations of innocence and how he was victimized by the system. If some people want to cheer for him, that's perfectly fine. If some people want to make snide remarks about him until the end of time, that should be fine too.

 

Exactly.

 

And referring to a previous post: no, I don't think it's at all a given that he only cheated once. The leaked transcripts referring to the "Braun Advantage" were supposedly all about how to regularly beat tests with careful timing of when to use fast-acting testosterone and have it out of your system quickly. Braun's advantage was rumored to be the fact that his baseline testosterone was very high, making it harder hit the threshold of 300 or 400% of a player's baseline level or whatever it required to flag a sample for further testing.

 

I think it's fair to say that he didn't cheat in the same way Bonds or Sosa did, but rather just to heal faster. He could have been MVP without cheating if he could have regularly stayed healthy without cheating.

[homer]

If you want to talk about Braun and steroids do it in another thread. This one is about his swing change. Thanks.

[MrTPlush]

If you want to talk about Braun and steroids do it in another thread. This one is about his swing change. Thanks.

 

We need a "Beat Dead Horses Here" thread. Then we can just redirect Braun steroids, Braun 3B, Hernan Perez $30mil extension, Hader's twitter, Doug Melvin, Suppan, HighHeat, etc. to one happy horse beating place!

[JosephC]

Just to throw this thread completely off the rails...$30 mil extension for Hernan Perez? I must have completely missed that one.

[MrTPlush]

Just to throw this thread completely off the rails...$30 mil extension for Hernan Perez? I must have completely missed that one.

 

2019 Plan:

viewtopic.php?f=66&t=37808

 

2017 Plan:

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=36093

 

5/$25mil was the highest recommendation.

[clancyphile]

If you want to talk about Braun and steroids do it in another thread. This one is about his swing change. Thanks.

 

No problem.

 

I wonder if his thumb injury did cause him to change his swing a little - subtly enough that the launch angle did decrease somewhat - and then the injuries in 2017 added a few more changes, which turned what would have been doubles into outs, and homers into doubles.

 

If ten of the loud outs were doubles that got taken away, his .254 average goes to .279, the OBP goes from .313 to .333, and the SLG goes from .469 to .518.

 

So, I think that the right adjustments could provide quite a boost for Braun.

[MadScientist]

If you want to talk about Braun and steroids do it in another thread. This one is about his swing change. Thanks.

 

No problem.

 

I wonder if his thumb injury did cause him to change his swing a little - subtly enough that the launch angle did decrease somewhat - and then the injuries in 2017 added a few more changes, which turned what would have been doubles into outs, and homers into doubles.

 

If ten of the loud outs were doubles that got taken away, his .254 average goes to .279, the OBP goes from .313 to .333, and the SLG goes from .469 to .518.

 

So, I think that the right adjustments could provide quite a boost for Braun.

It's definitely possible that injuries caused adjustments in his swing. As long as changing his swing back doesn't cause the thumb or other injuries to flare up, it will be a good thing. Otherwise he will just hit the DL quicker this year.

[DHonks]

I think people are often making the mistake in assuming that a player’s swing is the same their entire career. There are often extremely minor changes that occur. My golf swing has several versions each year. In my case it has nothing to do with injuries or launch angle, but rather a lot to do with normal tweaks that occur either intentionally or subconsciously

[Dragonbait]

I think people are often making the mistake in assuming that a player’s swing is the same their entire career. There are often extremely minor changes that occur. My golf swing has several versions each year. In my case it has nothing to do with injuries or launch angle, but rather a lot to do with normal tweaks that occur either intentionally or subconsciously

 

I'm pretty sure most Brewer fans are aware swings change.... we had Craig 'Chicken Wing' as a player, and his swing was always different.

[pacopete4]

 

Just hand this man the MVP right now. Gonna be a good year!

[yfinn6]

Seems like I read/see a decent amount about athletes refusing to change. "I know what got me here" type attitudes, so it's refreshing to see Braun take an honest look at the previous year (yeah, maybe it wasn't as bad as has been discussed here, etc) and realize he may need to try something different in the offseason. Can't wait for 2019.

[TooLiveBrew]

 

Just hand this man the MVP right now. Gonna be a good year!

That was a fun watch!

[3and2Fastball]

I think Braun is a Hall of Fame type talent who struggles to stay healthy. I don't think Braun's talent is in the upper echelon of a Willie Mays or Ted Williams (Mays had one of his best offensive seasons at age 34, Williams at 38) but he's in there with the next tier. You don't normally expect significant offense from a 35 year old but Braun could certainly be an exception, with some good luck in health and with the Brewers giving him extra time off.

 

I don't expect drastic changes with his swing. If he sacrifices some contact with more HR's that is probably a smart choice given his age & the current era of the game.

[Eye Black]

AUDIO via the MLB Statcast Podcast: Ryan Braun changing his swing "Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is attempting to change his swing for better results. Host Mike Petriello and national editor Matt Meyers discuss Braun's decision to make a switch and the type of results he could see in 2019. Plus, they look at the type of impact Bryce Harper could have on his future team's postseason chase."

 

Here is the LINK to the library of Statcast Podcasts.

 

I won’t spoil the stats they share behind their reasoning, but Mike Petriello is seemingly buying into the possibility of Ryan Braun’s swing changes leading to improved results.

[pacopete4]

Thank you for sharing that. Man I am excited.