Ryan Braun - Fantasy News & Updates
Ryan Braun - Fantasy News & Updates
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Further securing his place among the game's top-tier talents, Braun became just the second player in Major League history to thump 30-plus homers in each of his first three seasons, joining Albert Pujols. Consider that among active players, only Ryan Howard reached 100 career homers faster than the big Brewers slugger. Throw in a large chunk of stolen bases, and you've got yourself a five-category beast who's just entering his peak years.
Braun has turned into perhaps fantasy's top outfielder with his first 20/20 campaign. He notched 30 or more homers for the third straight year with his 32 blasts, and his 114 RBIs was a career-high mark. Throw in his .320 batting average and his 113 runs, and there is no doubt that the 25-year-old will be a keeper for years to come.
Braun is finishing his third season as one of the game's hottest hitters. He's batting .405 with eight extra-base hits and 13 RBIs over his past 17 games, helping increase his career-high RBI total to 113. With a .319 batting average, 32 homers and 19 steals, the outfielder is a sure-fire first-round option in next year's drafts.
Braun, who has hit in seven straight and is 12-for-32 (.375) during that streak, continues to cement his credentials as one of the most valuable all-around players in fantasy. His .318-31-111 line is impressive enough on its own, but Braun's knack for getting on base -- he has a .385 on-base percentage -- has enabled him to help owners by stealing the occasional bag and scoring a ton of runs. His 111 runs rank third in the National League.
Braun has clobbered the ball over his past 11 games to the tune of a .391 batting average. Only two of his 18 hits over that time frame went for extra bases, but the hitting surge has been good enough to virtually assure Braun of his second .300-plus campaign in three seasons.
Braun has five multi-hit efforts during a .375 surge in his last eight ballgames. His .310 batting average is a notable increase on the .285 figure he posted in '08, helping turn the outfielder into one of the most complete offensive options in fantasy.
Neither Braun nor Brewers manager Ken Macha offered much in the way of an explanation. "Not playing," Braun said. "That's all I've got." Braun does get treatment on his right shoulder, but he has refused to acknowledge any physical ailments. He stood by that stance on Monday. "I'm fine," he said. There's also a possibility that Macha is following orders from the team's athletic training staff in resting Braun, who does not like to miss games.
There had been some dispute earlier this week over whether or not Braun was dealing with some pain in his right shoulder -- Manager Ken Macha said he was, Braun said he wasn't -- but there was no disputing the fact that Braun hadn't homered in 10 games or driven in a run in nine coming into Friday's contest. Braun's classically Braun-ian showing should put an end to all of the aforementioned disputations.
Manager Ken Macha explained that Braun's day off was a result of the outfielder complaining of "aches and pains" in his right shoulder. However, Braun refuted that point. "I don't know what he's talking about," Braun said. In any case, there doesn't seem to be any serious ailments lurking here, so look for Braun to be back in the lineup Tuesday.
Make that a 10-game hitting streak for Braun, who has thumped a pair of jacks and knocked in eight teammates during his current hit parade. Besides his hit streak entering double-digits, Friday's performance was notable for another reason, as the 25-year-old set a new career high in runs scored with 93. With a shade over a month to go, Braun will no doubt tack on many more to his new high-water mark before the season is over.
In case you forgot -- it has been nearly a month since the big guy pilfered a bag -- he can beat you with his legs, too. But Braun has made a name for himself based mostly on his power game, which is thriving more than ever, as the slugging youngster has cracked four homers and driven in seven runners in his past four contests to place him near the top of the NL leader board in nearly all of the major offensive categories.
Since it's nearly impossible to nail down a timeframe when the 25-year-old slugger is not tearing the cover off the ball, it might be easier to note that Braun particularly enjoys raking after the All-Star break (.301/.354/.599) -- with this year coming as no exception. In this season's second half, the young masher has cranked out nine big flys and has driven in 26 runners to vault himself into the NL's top 5 with 84 total RBIs on the year.
Braun entered the current month mired in 2-for-12 funk and slipped deeper into it after starting August just 1-for-8. Since then, Braun has flipped the switch, stitching together five straight multi-hit outings with three runs scored and a whopping nine RBIs. Overall, the young batsman is slugging .576 with a .394 on-base percentage in August.
Another night, another multi-hit performance for Braun, who’s racked up nine of them in the last 16 games to push his average up to .319, which ranks seventh in the NL. The young masher is squarely on pace notch his third consecutive 30-plus homer campaign to begin his career. He’s cracked 22 long balls, driven in 76 runs and crossed the plate 77 times on the year.
A night after leaving the game with tightness in his right elbow, Braun was back at it in this one, collecting his fifth multi-hit effort in the last 10 games. He’s been bringing heavy lumber to the dish so far in the second half, batting .351 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 18 contests.
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