Current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and Miami Hurricane for life Ryan Braun took home the National League MVP award on Tuesday, beating out Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. Braun earned twenty first-place votes to Kemp’s ten and outscored Kemp 388 to 332 overall.
Braun led the NL with a .597 slugging percentage and racked up 33 home runs, 111 RBIs, 109 runs scored and stole 33 bases while helping Milwaukee to its first division title in almost three decades. Braun also finished the season with a second-best .332 batting average.
The 28-year old, four-time All Star is the first Brewers player to win the MVP in the National League and the first since Robin Yount back in 1989, when Milwaukee played in the American League’s East Division. Braun also signed a $105M, five-year contract extension in April, which should keep him in a Brewers uniform through 2020.
Braun wound up at “The U” in 2003 by way of Granada Hills, CA. Year one Braun was named the team’s MVP and hit .364 while starting sixty-two of sixty-three games. Braun also broke the school’s freshman RBI record of 64, formerly held by Pat Burrell, and finished with 76 on the season. Braun also had 17 home runs as a freshman.
Braun was drafted fifth in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft and originally signed for $2.45M as a third baseman. He saw his first true MLB action in 2007, called up on May 24th and hitting two home runs two nights later. By June, Braun was named NL Rookie Of The Month and there was no turning back.
A hearty congrats to a well-liked, long-time, legendary baseball Cane who made good on the main stage, National League MVP Ryan Braun.