Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player. A left fielder, he played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right field and first base during his career, and was a third baseman during his rookie season.
Braun was a two-time All-American at the University of Miami, where he was named National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America in 2003. The Brewers drafted him in the first round (fifth overall) in the 2005 MLB draft. He was the team's Minor League Player of the Year in 2006.
Braun was considered a five-tool player for his ability to hit for power and average, his baserunning speed, and his excellent fielding and arm strength. He was ranked number seven by the Sporting News in its 2012 list of the 50 best current players in baseball. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2007, won five Silver Slugger awards (2008–12), and won the NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2011. He was named to five straight All-Star Games (2008–12), and was later named to a team-high sixth All-Star Game in 2015. Braun led the NL three times in slugging percentage (in 2007, 2011, and 2012) and once each in hits (2009), home runs (2012), and runs (2012). He was inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor in 2022, and was inducted into the Brewers Walk of Fame in 2024.
However, Braun came under scrutiny for a testosterone test that he failed in 2011 and then for his connection in 2012 to the Biogenesis of America clinic that provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional baseball players. On July 22, 2013, Braun was suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season and playoffs (totaling 65 regular-season games) for violating the league's drug policy. Braun made public his accusations of anti-semitism by the testing facility employee administering the urine sample in the 2011 test. That test was dismissed for procedural mishandling of the sample. However, he was suspended two years later for his ties to Biogenesis and his disparagement of the employee. He subsequently admitted using PEDs during his 2011 MVP season.
Early life Ryan Joseph Braun was born on November 17, 1983, to Joe and Diane Braun. He and his younger brother Steve were raised in Los Angeles. He grew up a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. Braun's PONY League teammates included Jack and Matt Cassel, Jason and Jarron Collins, and Jon Garland. Braun later picked up basketball, which became his favorite sport, and soccer, in which he played forward. By the time he entered high school, Braun had chosen to focus solely on baseball.
Braun attended Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California. He was a four-year letterman on the school's baseball team, and three-year team captain and Most Valuable Player (MVP). He played shortstop and pitched through his junior year. As a sophomore in 2000, he recorded the highest batting average of his prep career (.456), while posting a .654 on-base percentage (OBP). During his junior year, he hit .421, with a .668 OBP. Braun capped off his high school career by batting .451 as a senior, with an OBP of .675, and breaking the school record for career home runs with 25.Mulhern, Tom, "Brewers: Braun's start a smashing success", Wisconsin State Journal, July 21, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2007."Braun hopes to live up to lofty expectations" Kalis, Eric, The Hurricane, February 6, 2004, accessed June 6, 2007 He graduated in 2002, but went undrafted as he told teams that he intended to attend college."Ryan Braun profile" , Miami Hurricanes. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
Braun excelled academically as well: his worst grade was one B, in Advanced Placement Chemistry.
College career Offered baseball scholarships by Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, he instead attended the University of Miami on an academic scholarship, due to his excellent high school grades. He chose Miami for its academics, its athletics, and its social scene, noting: "I think the girls were the deal closer on the recruiting trip.""Ryan Braun Major League Baseball Player with the Milwaukee Brewers SolisCompany.com", YouTube, February 11, 2009, accessed May 28, 09
There, Braun was named "National Freshman of the Year", and a first-team "Freshman All-American", by Baseball America in 2003, as well as first team All American by the Jewish Sports Review. He was also named first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. After the 2004 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
During his junior year, his final and most successful at Miami, Braun batted .396 with 18 home runs, a .726 slugging percentage, 76 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases. He was ninth in slugging and 10th in RBIs in NCAA Division I, and was named to Baseball Americas 2005 College All-American Team as the designated hitter (DH). He moved from shortstop to third base during the year. His performance earned Braun the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Year award, and a spot as one of the finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, the most prestigious individual award in college baseball.Wechsler, Robert, Day by Day in Jewish Sports History , p. 144, Ktav Publishing House, 2007, , accessed June 1, 2009 He was inducted into the University of Miami Hall of Fame in 2017."Ryan Braun," University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Braun in the first round (fifth overall) in the 2005 major league draft as a third baseman, and he signed for $2.45 million.Schelzig, Erik, "Brewers' draft pick getting into swing of things", Chicago Sun-Times, August 8, 2005. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
Assigned to the Helena Brewers in the Advanced Rookie Pioneer League in 2005, Braun batted .341/.383/.585 in 10 games. He was then promoted to the West Virginia Power in the Class A South Atlantic League, where he hit .355/.396/.645, and was rated the fifth-best prospect in the league. His most memorable moment was when he hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the Power into the playoffs."2005 Top 20 Prospects: South Atlantic League" Manuel, John, Baseball America, September 27, 2005, accessed December 21, 2007.
Braun began 2006 playing for the A-Advanced Brevard County Manatees. He earned a spot in the Florida State League All-Star game, and played in the All-Star Futures Game. He was rated the top third base prospect in the FSL, and Baseball America rated him the best batting prospect in the league. On June 21, Braun was promoted to the Class AA Huntsville Stars (Alabama) of the Southern League. In July he was voted the Brewers' Organizational Player of the Month, and at the end of the season he was voted the sixth-best prospect in the Southern League."'07 Milwaukee Brewers Player Development" Milwaukee Brewers. Retrieved December 22, 2007. Collectively between Class A and Class AA, Braun finished with a .289 average, 22 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. He received the 2006 Robin Yount Performance Award as the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Year."Braun, Gallardo Class of Minors" , McCalvy, Adam, mlb.com, September 19, 2006
Later in 2006, in the Arizona Fall League he hit .326/.396/.641 in 92 at bats for the Scottsdale Scorpions. He led the AFL with 16 extra-base hits, tied for tops with 9 doubles, ranked second in slugging percentage and HR/AB ratio (1/15), tied for second in home runs (6), and tied for third in RBIs (25). He was rated one of the top three prospects in the league, and was voted to the AFL All-Prospects Team."2006 Arizona Fall League All-Prospects Team" AFL press release, November 20, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
Baseball America rated Braun the Brewers' #2 prospect for 2007. He began the year with the Nashville Sounds of the AAA Pacific Coast League. Before being called up to the majors in late May, in 113 at bats he led the PCL with a .726 slugging percentage while batting .354 (6th), with 10 home runs (T-2nd) and a .426 on-base percentage (5th).
Major League career
2007: Rookie of the Year
The Brewers brought Braun to spring training in 2007."Brewers GM, Doug Melvin: 'We feel we are a much better ballclub this year'", Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 25, 2007 Their regular third baseman Corey Koskie was suffering from post-concussion syndrome, and missed the entire year. In 11 spring training games, Braun tied for 10th in the majors in home runs (5), and second in RBIs (15)."Brewers reassign Braun to Triple A" Beloit Daily News, March 20, 2007, accessed September 11, 2007
In 2007, Braun had what some sportswriters called one of the most dominant rookie seasons in baseball history.Feuerherd, Vic, "Braun confident about move to left", Wisconsin State Journal, March 4, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2008. Called up on May 24 by the Brewers, he hit his first major league home run two days later."Brewers promote top prospect Braun; Third baseman slugged 10 homers at Triple-A Nashville" McCalvy, Adam, Milwaukee Brewers, May 24, 2007, accessed September 10, 2007 Braun was voted the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month for June, ranking first in RBIs (21) and tied for first in home runs (6) among NL rookies that month. He also recorded a .716 slugging percentage and a .435 OBP. In July, Braun became the fastest player in Brewers history to hit 10 major league home runs, doing so in his 38th game. He hit his 15th home run in the 50th game of his career, and his 20th in his 64th game, making him the fastest to those milestones since Albert Pujols in 2001. He was also the fastest to 20 homers in Brewers history. At month's end, he received his second consecutive NL Rookie of the Month Award, as well as his first NL Player of the Month Award (making him the first player to have won both awards in the same month). He hit a league-leading 11 home runs, with 25 RBIs, while batting .345."Braun top NL Player, Rookie for July; Brewers phenom the first to win both awards in same month" Ang, Kelvin, mlb.com, August 2, 2007, accessed September 14, 2007
In mid-August, Brewers manager Ned Yost moved Braun from third in the batting order to cleanup, switching him with Prince Fielder. The move was expected to allow Braun to steal more, as batting before Fielder was not conducive to him risking being thrown out on steal attempts. Additionally, successfully stealing a base would hypothetically allow opponents to intentionally walk Fielder and avoid pitching to him."Sheets progresses, appears on target for Sept. 1 return" Semrau, Dennis, The Capital Times, August 15, 2007, accessed September 14, 2007 At the end of the month, however, Yost reverted to his previous batting order.Feuerherd, Vic, "Brewers: Parra hurt, rotation up in air", Wisconsin State Journal, August 31, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007. On August 26, Braun hit his 25th home run in his 82nd game, quicker than any major leaguer since Mark McGwire in 1987.
On September 9, the Brewers became the third team in major league history to start a game with three straight home runs, as Rickie Weeks, J. J. Hardy, and Braun homered in consecutive at bats. Braun said, "That was pretty cool. I was never part of something like that before.""Brewers Puts Together Homer Barrage" ABC News, accessed September 18, 2007 Braun's home run in that game also broke the Brewers rookie record for home runs (28). Braun hit his 30th homer in his 94th game, a pace no player had set to start a career since McGwire hit 30 in 84 games during 1986 and 1987."Brewers Report", September 10, 2007, Associated Press. Retrieved September 11, 2007.