Ryan Braun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ryan Braun |
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Braun with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: November 17, 1983 Mission Hills, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 25, 2007, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2020, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .296 | ||
| Home runs | 352 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,154 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played his entire career with the Brewers from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right field and first base. He was a third baseman during his first year.
Braun was a top college player at the University of Miami. He was named National Freshman of the Year in 2003. The Brewers picked him in the first round of the 2005 MLB draft. He was the team's Minor League Player of the Year in 2006.
People called Braun a five-tool player. This means he could hit for power and average. He was fast at baserunning, and had great fielding and a strong arm. In 2012, Sporting News ranked him among the top 50 baseball players. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2007. He also won five Silver Slugger awards (2008–12). In 2011, he won the NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). He was chosen for five straight All-Star Games (2008–12). He was also an All-Star in 2015. Braun led the NL in slugging percentage three times. He led once in hits (2009), home runs (2012), and runs (2012). He was honored by the Brewers Wall of Honor in 2022. He joined the Brewers Walk of Fame in 2024.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Ryan Joseph Braun was born on November 17, 1983. His parents are Joe and Diane Braun. He and his younger brother Steve grew up in Los Angeles. He was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Braun played baseball in PONY League. His teammates included future pro athletes. He also played basketball and soccer. By high school, Braun decided to focus only on baseball.
Braun went to Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California. He played baseball for four years. He was team captain and MVP for three years. He played shortstop and pitched until his junior year. In 2000, he had his best batting average at .456. He also had a .654 on-base percentage (OBP). In his junior year, he hit .421 with a .668 OBP. As a senior, he batted .451 with a .675 OBP. He broke the school record for career home runs with 25. He finished high school in 2002. He told teams he would go to college, so he was not drafted.
College Baseball Career
Braun received baseball scholarships from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. He chose to attend the University of Miami instead. He went there on an academic scholarship because of his excellent high school grades.
In 2003, Baseball America named Braun "National Freshman of the Year." He was also a first-team "Freshman All-American." Collegiate Baseball also named him first-team All-American. After the 2004 season, he played summer baseball. He played for the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
His junior year was his best at Miami. Braun batted .396 with 18 home runs. He had a .726 slugging percentage and 76 RBIs. He also stole 23 bases. He was among the top players in NCAA Division I. Baseball America named him to their 2005 College All-American Team. He moved from shortstop to third base that year. His great performance earned him the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Year award. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. This is a top award in college baseball. He was inducted into the University of Miami Hall of Fame in 2017.
Professional Baseball Journey
Draft and Minor Leagues
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Braun in the first round. He was the fifth player picked in the 2005 major league draft. He was drafted as a third baseman. He signed a contract for $2.45 million.
In 2005, Braun played for the Helena Brewers. He batted .341 in 10 games. Then he moved to the West Virginia Power. There, he hit .355. He was ranked the fifth-best prospect in that league. He hit a walk-off grand slam to help the Power reach the playoffs.
In 2006, Braun played for the Brevard County Manatees. He was chosen for the Florida State League All-Star game. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game. Baseball America rated him the best batting prospect in the league. In June, Braun moved up to the Huntsville Stars. In July, he was named the Brewers' Player of the Month. At the end of the season, he was the sixth-best prospect in the Southern League. In Class A and Class AA, Braun hit .289. He had 22 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. He won the 2006 Robin Yount Performance Award. This award is for the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Year.
Later in 2006, he played in the Arizona Fall League. He hit .326. He led the league with 16 extra-base hits. He was second in slugging percentage and home runs. He was also voted to the AFL All-Prospects Team.
Baseball America rated Braun the Brewers' #2 prospect for 2007. He started the year with the Nashville Sounds. Before joining the majors, he led the PCL with a .726 slugging percentage. He batted .354 with 10 home runs.
Major League Career Highlights
2007: Rookie of the Year Season
The Brewers called Braun up to the majors on May 24, 2007. He hit his first major league home run two days later. Braun was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month for June. He led NL rookies in RBIs (21) and home runs (6). He also had a .716 slugging percentage.
In July, Braun became the fastest Brewer to hit 10 major league home runs. He did it in his 38th game. He hit his 15th home run in his 50th game. His 20th home run came in his 64th game. This made him the fastest to these milestones since Albert Pujols in 2001. He also won his second straight NL Rookie of the Month Award. He also won his first NL Player of the Month Award. He hit 11 home runs and had 25 RBIs.
On August 26, Braun hit his 25th home run in his 82nd game. This was quicker than any major leaguer since Mark McGwire in 1987. On September 9, the Brewers made history. They started a game with three straight home runs. Rickie Weeks, J. J. Hardy, and Braun all hit homers. Braun's home run also broke the Brewers rookie record (28). He hit his 30th homer in his 94th game. No player had done that so fast to start a career since McGwire.
Braun finished the year with an NL-leading .634 slugging percentage. This set new rookie and Brewers records. He was fifth in the league in at bats per home run (13.3). He was tied for fifth in home runs (34). He was eighth in batting average (.324). He led the Brewers in batting average and slugging percentage. He was second in home runs, runs (91), and RBIs (97). He also had 15 steals. He broke the club rookie records of 28 home runs and 81 RBIs.
Braun was very good against left-handed pitchers. He had the best batting average (.450) against them. He also had the best OBP (.516) and slugging percentage (.964). He was tied for second in home runs (15) against lefties.
Braun won many awards at the end of the season. He won the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He also won the 2007 NL Sporting News Rookie of the Year. His fellow players voted him the 2007 Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie.
2008: All-Star and Silver Slugger
In March 2008, the Brewers gave Braun a new contract. On May 15, 2008, he signed a large contract extension. It was the biggest contract in Brewers' history. It was also the largest contract for a player with less than three years' experience.
Braun drove in 134 runs in his first 162 major league games. This was more than any active player. He reached 150 RBIs faster than any major leaguer since 1951. On June 17, 2008, he had his 152nd career RBI in his 182nd game.
Braun was named the NL's Player of the Month for July. He batted .366 with 9 home runs and 23 RBIs. He also led the league with 76 total bases. He had back-to-back 4-hit games.
On August 9, Braun strained a muscle near his ribs. He missed some games because of this. After returning, he hit his first grand slam on September 25. This won the game 5–1 and helped the Brewers' playoff hopes. Braun was the first player to hit a walk-off grand slam at Miller Park. Three days later, Braun hit a go-ahead 2-run homer. This helped the Brewers reach the postseason for the first time since 1982.
Braun was a starting outfielder for the NL in the 2008 All-Star Game. Fans voted him first among NL outfielders. He was the first Brewers outfielder voted to start an All-Star game. He also finished third in the Home Run Derby.
On June 3, Braun became the third-fastest major leaguer to reach 50 career home runs. He did it in 171 games. On July 8, he hit his 56th home run in his 200th game. This was the third-highest total ever for a player's first 200 games. In early August, Braun hit his 30th home run. He was only the second player to hit 30 or more homers in each of his first two seasons.
In 2008, Braun hit 37 home runs (4th in NL). He had 106 RBIs (9th). He batted .285 with a .553 slugging percentage (5th). He led the league with 83 extra base hits. He also had 338 total bases (2nd in NL). He led the Brewers in batting average, slugging percentage, and home runs.
Braun batted .313 in October in his first postseason series. He won the 2008 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award. He was third in voting for the 2008 NL MVP award.
2009: Another All-Star and Silver Slugger
In 2009, Sporting News ranked Braun No. 32 on its list of the 50 greatest current players.
Braun was named NL Player of the Week for May 4–10. He led the NL with 12 RBIs that week. He hit .458 with 3 home runs. He hit his second career grand slam and had a career-high six RBIs on May 6.
Fans voted Braun to start the All-Star Game for the second year in a row. He was the first Brewer to be voted in as a starter in consecutive years since Robin Yount. Braun started in right field for the first time.
Braun hit his 100th home run in his 400th major league game. This made him the second-fastest active player to reach 100 home runs. His 103 home runs in his first three seasons are sixth-most in baseball history.
In 2009, Braun was even better against left-handed pitchers. He had the second-best OBP (.475) and slugging percentage (.723) against them. He finished the season with an NL-leading 203 hits. He was the first Brewer to lead his league in hits since 1991. His .320 batting average was the highest by a Brewer since 1999.
In 2009, Braun was 2nd in runs (113) and 4th in RBIs (114). He was also 7th in batting average (.320). He became only the second Brewer to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season. He was also the eighth player in MLB history with at least 100 runs, 100 RBIs, 200 hits, 30 homers, 20 stolen bases, and a .300 average in one season.
Braun won the 2009 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award. He won it for the second year in a row. He was the first Brewer to win this award in consecutive years since Paul Molitor.
2010: Third Straight All-Star and Silver Slugger
Sporting News ranked Braun No. 22 on its 2010 list of the 50 greatest current players.
He was elected a starting NL All-Star outfielder for the third year in a row in 2010. Braun led all major league outfielders in All-Star votes for the third straight year. He became the first Brewer to be a three-time All-Star starter.
Braun was named NL Player of the Week for August 1–8. He led the majors with a .538 batting average. He also had 14 hits and 8 runs scored. He had a career-best five-hit game.
For the season, Braun was second in the NL in hits (188) and doubles (45). He was 5th in total bases (310) and 7th in RBIs (103). He was also 9th in batting average (.304).
Braun hit the eighth-most home runs by any major leaguer through his first four seasons (128). He was the first Brewer to hit 20 or more home runs in each of his first four seasons. He was also the third Brewer to have 100 or more RBIs in three years in a row.
Braun won the 2010 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award. He won it for the third year in a row. He was the second Brewer to win this award three times in a row.
2011: NL MVP and 30–30 Club
In 2011, Sporting News ranked Braun No. 16 on its list of the 50 greatest current players.
He was named NL Player of the Month for April. He tied for the NL lead in home runs (10) and runs scored (24). He set a new team record by reaching base in 28 straight games to start a season.
He led all National League players in All-Star votes. He received an NL-record 5.93 million votes. He was voted an NL All-Star starter for a team-record fourth time. Braun also had a 23-game hitting streak. This was the third-longest in team history.
On September 23, Braun hit a three-run, 450-foot home run. This helped the Brewers win the NL Central title. He was named the NL Player of the Month for September.
In 2011, Braun led the National League in slugging percentage (.597). He also led in OPS (.994) and extra base hits (77). He was 2nd in batting average (.332) and runs (109). He was 4th in RBIs (111). He was 6th in home runs (33) and 7th in stolen bases (33). On defense, he led all major league left fielders in fielding percentage (.996).
Braun became the 7th player to have at least four 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons in his first five years. He also became the 11th major leaguer to hit at least 30 home runs in four of his first five seasons.
In 2011, Braun became the second Brewer to join the 30–30 club. This means he had 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. He was also the second Brewer to have two seasons with 20 steals and 20 homers. He became the first Brewer to have three seasons with 100 runs and 100 RBIs.
In the 2011 playoffs, Braun set a major league record. He reached base in the first inning in nine straight playoff games. He led the Brewers with a .405 batting average. He also had a team-best 10 RBIs.
Braun won the 2011 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award. He won it for the fourth year in a row. This set a Brewers team record. On November 22, Braun was named the NL MVP award winner for the 2011 season.
2012: Home Run Champion and 40–30 Club
On April 30, 2012, Braun became the first player to hit 3 home runs in one game at Petco Park. He was named to his fifth straight NL All-Star team. This tied him for the most All-Star honors in Brewers history. On July 20, Braun got his 1,000th career hit. He did it in his 815th game.
On September 16, Braun hit his 200th career home run. He did it in his 867th game. This was faster than most active players. In his next turn at bat, Braun hit another home run. This was his 40th of the year. It was his first time reaching the 40-home-run mark.
In 2012, Braun led the National League in home runs (41). He also led in runs scored (108) and total bases (356). He led the league in OPS (.987) and extra-base hits (80) for the second year in a row. He was 2nd in the NL in RBIs (112) and slugging percentage (.595). He was 3rd in batting average (.319). He was 9th in stolen bases (30). On defense, he led all NL left fielders in putouts (276). By driving in over 100 runs for the fifth year in a row, Braun became the first Brewer to have five 100-RBI seasons. He also became the ninth player in major league history to have a season of 40 home runs and 30 stolen bases.
Braun won the 2012 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award. He won it for the fifth year in a row. His five straight awards were the longest active streak in the major leagues.
2013: A Difficult Season
In 2013, Braun played in 61 games. He had a .298 batting average. He hit 9 home runs and had 38 RBIs. On July 22, 2013, Braun was suspended for the rest of the season. This was due to a violation of baseball's rules.
2014 and 2015 Seasons
In 2014, Braun moved to right field. He batted a career-low .266. He had 19 home runs and led the Brewers with 81 RBIs. He tied Brewers records with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in one game. He also played in his 1,000th game with the Brewers.
Braun had surgery in October to help his right thumb. This problem was affecting his grip on the bat.
In 2015, Braun was named to the All-Star Team again. It was his sixth time as an All-Star. This set a new team record.
On August 19, Braun hit his 252nd career home run. This set the all-time record for home runs in Milwaukee Brewers history. The record was previously held by Robin Yount.
For the season, Braun batted .285 with 25 home runs. He had 84 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. It was his fourth season with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He was named Brewers Most Valuable Player for the third time.
Later Career (2016–2020)
In 2016, Braun batted .305. He had 30 home runs (his 6th 30+ HR season). He also had 91 RBIs (his 7th 90+ RBI season). He had 16 stolen bases. He was named Brewers Most Valuable Player for the fourth time.
On July 14, 2017, Braun hit his sixth career grand slam. This broke the Brewers record. He became the only active player to lead his team in this category.
On September 8, Braun hit his 300th career home run. He was the first Brewer to do so. He became the 6th baseball player to have at least 300 home runs and 180 stolen bases in his first 11 seasons. For the season, he batted .268 with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs. He played fewer games due to injuries.
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In 2018, Braun played some first base. On April 19, he hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run for his 1,000th career RBI. Only Robin Yount has had more RBIs in Brewers history. For the season, he batted .254 with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs.
After the regular season, he became the team's all-time postseason hits leader. He batted .385 in the 2018 National League Division Series.
On April 6, 2019, Braun scored his 1,000th career run. This was third-most in Brewers history. He was the only active player to score all 1,000 runs for one team.
On May 4, Braun had the first 6-hit game of his career. This tied the Brewers record. He hit his eighth career grand slam on September 25. This was a Brewers record. For the season, he batted .285 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs. He stole 11 bases. It was his 10th season with 20 or more home runs. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named him the Brewers' Player of the Decade for the 2010s.
In 2020, Braun played as a designated hitter, right fielder, and first baseman. On September 16, Braun hit his 350th career home run. He was fifth in homers among all active players. In the shortened 2020 season, Braun hit .233 with 8 home runs and 26 RBIs. In October, the Brewers decided not to keep him for 2021. This made him a free agent.
Braun did not play during the 2021 season. He announced his retirement on September 14, 2021.
Playing Style
Hitting Skills
Braun was known for hitting for both average and power. His swing was quick and strong. He could hit the ball to all parts of the field. He was good at hitting different types of pitches. Brewers hitting coach Jim Skaalen said he had "tremendously quick hands."
Running Speed
Braun was very fast. He was timed at 4.2 seconds to first base. In spring training 2007, he was one of the fastest Brewers in the 60-yard dash.
Defense in the Outfield
Braun started as a shortstop and then played third base. He later moved to left field. He had great speed and a very strong throwing arm. In 2008, Braun led all major league outfielders with a 1.000 fielding percentage. He also led all NL left fielders in putouts (275). He was second in range factor (1.95).
In July 2009, ESPN's Jon Heyman said Braun had "become a terrific left fielder in no time." Braun led all NL left fielders in 2009 with a .994 fielding percentage. He also led them in putouts (304). In 2010, Braun led NL left fielders in putouts for the third year in a row (279).
Jewish Heritage
Braun's father, Joe, was born in Israel. His father's family was affected by the Holocaust. His father moved to the United States at age seven. Braun's father is Jewish, and his mother is Catholic.
Braun has said he is Jewish. He is proud to be a role model for young Jewish kids. He has also noted that he did not have a Bar Mitzvah. He did not celebrate Jewish holidays.
Braun is one of the highest-drafted Jewish ballplayers in baseball history. He was the first Jewish Rookie of the Year in MLB. On June 8, 2019, he hit his 332nd home run. This made him the all-time Jewish career home run leader, passing Hank Greenberg.
In December 2007, Braun was the only Jewish athlete invited to the annual Hanukkah Dinner at the White House. He talked baseball with President George W. Bush. Braun was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg 75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards. He was one of three Jewish players in the 2008 All-Star Game. He was also on the Team USA 2009 World Baseball Classic team.
Braun was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in January 2010.
In 2011, Braun became the fourth Jewish player to win the Most Valuable Player Award. The others were Hank Greenberg, Al Rosen, and Sandy Koufax.
Outside Interests
Braun created his own line of fashion T-shirts for Affliction Clothing. In 2008, he filmed a YouTube video for Remington's ShortCut clippers. Apple released an iPhone commercial that showed Braun's walk-off grand slam from 2008. Gatorade also used this clip in a commercial.
Braun had endorsement deals with companies like CytoSport (a supplement maker), Nike, and Wilson. He also appeared in commercials for Muscle Milk and Dick's Sporting Goods.
In 2010, Braun opened two restaurants in Wisconsin. In July 2012, Braun teamed up with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to open a restaurant called 8-Twelve.
Braun lost some endorsement deals in 2013. The restaurants he was involved with also changed names or closed.
Braun and his wife, Larisa, have three children. They have a daughter born in 2014 and two sons born in 2017 and 2020.
See also
- List of Jewish Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
