Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun

Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983, in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California), nicknamed The Hebrew Hammer, is an American right-handed Major League Baseball All-Star left fielder with the Milwaukee Brewers. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, after leading the National League (NL) in slugging percentage. He also won the Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year, the Baseball America Rookie of the Year, the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year, and the Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie Awards. Over the prior decade, the only other NL hitter to win all five awards was Albert Pujols, in 2001. Braun was a starting NL All Star outfielder in both 2008 and 2009, won the 2008 and 2009 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Awards, and was the starting left fielder for the USA team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In 2009 he was named to the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 32 on the list, and led the NL in hits for the season. In 2010, he was moved up to number 22.