Ryan Braun
| IP | 50 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.66 |
| WHIP | 1.68 |
| BB/9 | 4.5 |
| SO/9 | 5.4 |
- Full name Ryan Zachary Braun
- Born 07/29/1980 in Kitchener, ON, Canada
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Nevada - Las Vegas
- Debut 09/02/2006
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Drafted in the 6th round (162nd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2003 (signed for $1,000).
View Draft Report
Braun's fastball has been as high as 97, and he complemented it with two other power pitches, an 84-85 mph slider and a hard curve with depth. Braun transferred to UNLV from Wake Forest for his senior year and fit in well as a closer, averaging 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings to go with seven saves.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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For the second straight year, Braun overwhelmed minor league hitters with an arsenal that features a fastball that reaches 97 mph, a top-to-bottom curveball and a low-90s, late-breaking slider. He still has yet to translate that success to the major leagues, however, and he struggled after making the team out of spring training and again in a late-July callup. His major league ERA is a full four runs higher than his minor league mark. Command in the strike zone and overall inconsistency have been at the root of his problems. He can bury hitters by keeping his pitches down in the zone one inning and then get hit around by leaving those same pitches up the next inning. Key to his future role will be his ability to stay down in the zone and establish command in the majors, where he had a 24-22 K-BB ratio compared to 36-12 in Triple-A. Control problems have limited his projection. Once considered a closer in the making, Braun now looks more like a setup man. -
In an attempt to save money in the 2003 draft, the Royals drafted college seniors in rounds five through nine and signed them for $1,000 each. Braun has turned out to be the most promising of the bunch. The power reliever features a fastball that he can dial up to 96 mph to go with an 88-90 mph slider and an 85-87 mph curveball. His curve is more of strikeout pitch than his slider because of its greater velocity differential from his fastball. He also has a changeup that he throws infrequently. Braun got knocked around in his big league debut last year, when he learned that major leaguers aren't going to be intimidated by sheer power. He'll have to improve his control and command in order to succeed at the highest level after relying mostly on throwing the ball by minor leaguers. Braun had Tommy John surgery in college in 1998 and missed most of the 2005 season following shoulder surgery, but was healthy throughout last season. He operates with a maximum-effort delivery, not the best prescription for throwing quality strikes and staying healthy. -
Looking to save money, Kansas City drafted college seniors with their fifth- through ninth-round picks in 2003, then offered them all take-it-or-leave-it $1,000 bonuses. A two-way player plagued by injuries during his college career at Wake Forest and Nevada-Las Vegas, Braun is the best prospect of the group. In his first full pro season, he finished second in saves and seventh in appearances in the high Class A Carolina League. He overpowered hitters with a 93-96 mph fastball and two plus breaking pitches, a mid-80s slider and a curveball. He showed the give-me-the-ball mentality organizations want from a potential closer, and no signs of injury or fatigue. Braun's big, strong frame and clean arm action give the Royals hope that his injury problems are behind him. He's 24, so they're putting him on the fast track to the majors, with the next stop coming in Double-A.
