In case you missed Wednesday afternoon’s Brewers victory, Ryan Braun smashed his 252nd career home run. The homer placed Braun ahead of previous leader Robin Yount, solidifying the rightfielder’s place in franchise lore. Braun is having a resurgence in 2015, which leads one to question the role of his health in his development throughout this season. Notably, ESPN’s home run tracker shows that Braun’s home run distance is now averaging a level previously seen during his glorious 2011 & 2012 campaigns.
| Ryan Braun | “True” HR Distance | K% / BB% / HR% | AVG / OBP / SLG (OPS+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 406.7 | 14.8 / 9.2 / 5.2 | .332 / .397 / .597 (166) |
| 2012 | 406.9 | 18.9 / 9.3 / 6.1 | .319 / .391 / .595 (158) |
| 2013 | 388.4 | 22.1 / 10.7 / 3.6 | .297 / .372 / .498 (136) |
| 2014 | 391.0 | 19.5 / 7.1 / 3.3 | .266 / .324 / .453 (113) |
| 2015 | 409.2 | 21.3 / 8.7 / 4.6 | .276 / .344 / .494 (126)* |
| *entering today |
Braun’s plate discipline is also some strange hybrid, as the veteran is striking out more frequently, walking more frequently, and homering more frequently in 2015. But there is little to complain about with the strike outs, given that Braun is also increasing his batting average and slugging at an excellent rate. If you’re skeptical of this development, or of the value in Braun’s production, note that his OPS+ is now close to 2008 and 2010; certainly, one could argue that those were transitional seasons as Braun shifted his plate discipline, but the point that Braun is matching his 24- and 26-year-old self a half-decade down the line should not be missed.
Congrats, Ryan!
