Best Offensive Rookie Year in History

[LUKE232323]

Pujols rookie year: 590 AB, .329 average, 37 HR, 130 RBI, 1.013 OPS

Braun rookie year: 262 AB, .347 average, 20 HR, 53 RBI, 1.044 OPS

Braun's rookie year translated to Pujols AB's: 590 AB, .347 average, 45 HR, 119 RBI, 1.044 OPS

 

Just to put things in perspective as to how great his rookie year has been. He has ROY locked up barring a major drought.

[BrewCrewForever]

Pujols rookie year: 590 AB, .329 average, 37 HR, 130 RBI, 1.013 OPS

Braun rookie year: 262 AB, .347 average, 20 HR, 53 RBI, 1.044 OPS

Braun's rookie year translated to Pujols AB's: 590 AB, .347 average, 45 HR, 119 RBI, 1.044 OPS

 

Just to put things in perspective as to how great his rookie year has been. He has ROY locked up barring a major drought.

If Braun's numbers are similar to what they project to be at the end of the season that is easily top 10 or 5 rookie season in MLB history. Hell if he puts up those projected numbers and the Brewers do win the division he might get a few MVP votes. I have a huge man crush on Braun and am so excited to see him play for years to come.

[homer]

It makes me warm and fuzzy inside to know that the Brewers will most likely have at a minimum three .900 OPS or better players for several years (Braun, Fielder, Hart).

[BrewCrewForever]

It makes me warm and fuzzy inside to know that the Brewers will most likely have at a minimum three .900 OPS or better players for several years (Braun, Fielder, Hart).

Yeah, it is a great feeling.

[imaji]

current 162 game extrapolation:

 

AB 663

R 130

H 229

2B 42

3B 7

HR 52

RBI 135

SB 25

TB 444

 

That's just sick.

[BrewCrewForever]

current 162 game extrapolation:

 

AB 663

R 130

H 229

2B 42

3B 7

HR 52

RBI 135

SB 25

TB 444

 

That's just sick.

I know its only his rookie year, but he has all the tools to be one of the greats.

 

[samwise]

I keep looking at this list and re-reading the Williams line. .327/.436/.609, 31 HRs, 145 RBIs...a freaking OPS of 1.045 at the age of 20. Man that guy must have raked.

 

Braun right now has an OPS of 1.015, if he can stay over 1.000 it will be very impressive.

[davego]

Would be great if Braun, Prince and Corey can be locked down, long-term. Throw in Yo (and maybe CV) and go from there. Might not be a lot of cash left after this...

 

I'm old enough that when I saw this thread, Fred Lynn and Mark Fidrych came to mind. Remember being jacked to see them on Monday Night Baseball.

[imaji]

I'm old enough that when I saw this thread, Fred Lynn and Mark Fidrych came to mind. Remember being jacked to see them on Monday Night Baseball.

 

Old folks are cool, but I'm biased, being born in the '60s myself, and remembering Fidrych talking to the ball. Braun has a LEGIT shot to be the first since Freddy Lynn (currently the ONLY) to win MVP and ROY in the same season. It's one of the rarer feats in all of sport, I can only think of Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld doing it in hoops, and nobody in football.

[ninja33]

ichiro did it 6 years ago.

[imaji]

ichiro did it 6 years ago.

 

He wasn't a REAL rookie, and everybody knows it. =) That was like Sergei Makarov winning ROY in the NHL following his HOF career with the USSR national team.

[ninja33]

i still say it counts, but whatever, difference of opinions i suppose.

 

either way, braun is still the man, and if he keeps hitting like this it'd be nice to see him get some MVP consideration despite missing two months. the rest of the team should probably help out so they can win some ballgames though.

[fondybrewfan]

Just curious

 

What are Braun's stats say after the 6th inning? I cant imagine they are very good. Dont get me wrong I think the guy is a stud and a superstar in the making but does it look like he folds like a cheap tent in clutch situations late in the game?

[homer]

Here are Braun's splits:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=28721

 

Close and late: .270/.289/.432

RISP and 2 outs: .357/.438/.714

 

I doubt you can garner much from each since he really doesn't have that many ABs in either situation. (37 and 28 respectively)

[imaji]

i still say it counts, but whatever, difference of opinions i suppose.

Nah, it counts, dude, you're right, I'm wrong, I stand corrected, I forgot about Ichiro's old butt because he is/was old. Good catch.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

leave it to espn to mention scott podsednik as a referernce point in an article about the possible best rookies ever...did anyone else laugh or just me after reading the first paragraph of that espn link ?

[HebrewHammer]

Usually teams score fewer runs every "Set" of innings. That is, every 3 inning block results in fewer runs. So Braun going "cold" after 6 isn't rare. He's also a rookie. Pressure situations like that will come. Unless he's like ARod and just a regular season, no clutch guy...

[Team Canada]

Not to run off on a tangent, but you know ARod had a better postseason than Jeter, right?

[homer]

leave it to espn to mention scott podsednik as a referernce point in an article about the possible best rookies ever...did anyone else laugh or just me after reading the first paragraph of that espn link ?

Pods had a great rookie year - at least in term of counting stats. 50+ SB, 100 runs, hit .300.

 

And I think the point was that in 2003 (or whenever that article was written) none of the candidates matched that top rookie years of all time. At least, that's how I read it.

[HebrewHammer]

Although looking it up the Brewers score in a bell curve. However, we are very bad as a team offensively in the 7-8-9 inning stretch.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

Wally Berger had a pretty nice rookie season in an admittedly offense-heavy season (1930): .310/.375/.614, 27 doubles, 14 triples, 38 homers, 119 RBI.

[BillScottCanRake]

Things have been a bit glum with regard to the Brewers, so I thought I'd try to share some good news. This is from this month's From the Bleachers: July 2007.

 

 

In case that didn't let you know the kid can hit a little, Braun is having the best rookie campaign since Albert Pujols' 2001 season. Just for fun, let's project Braun's numbers as of July 31 to the 590 ABs that Pujols had in 2001.

	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Braun	590	119	204	40	5	44	123	47	140	25	5	.347	.394	.657	1.051
Pujols	590	112	194	47	4	37	130	69	93	1	3	.329	.403	.610	1.013

I really am having trouble finding a comparable season by any Brewer player, much less a rookie. While he has only played 59 games, his batting average is the third highest in Brewer history behind Paul Molitor and Cecil Cooper. Braun's current home run pace is 36, which would break Prince Fielder's rookie record and be the 9th highest single season total in Brewer history. His full season projection of 44 home runs would be second only to Richie Sexson and Gorman Thomas (depending on what Fielder does the rest of the year). That's one heck of a rookie season. Brewer fans can only hope Braun continues to hit like that for the next 10-15 years.

[MoneyballMan]

Great post - great points. Hopefully he can close the deal and keep it going!

[mls4]

Braun has now hit 27 HR in 90 games. To contrast, Pujols hit #27 in his 110th game and McGwire hit #27 in his 83rd game.

 

Through 90 games:

 

Braun 27 HR, 73 RBI, .334 BA, 1.024 OPS

McGwire 32 HR, 69 RBI, .270 BA, .985 OPS

Pujols 22 HR, 69 RBI, .325 BA, .988 OPS

[flosses like fossas]

is it possible that braun will get enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting crown? i forget if it's total plate appearances or if it's a percentage with respect to an average of the rest of full-time players in the league...

 

 

edit: answered my own question, thank you wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batting_average) braun has a very very slim chance if he can maintain his current average or improve it slightly and pretty much play everyday from here out.