Ryan Braun knows where he stands

Don't include Ryan Braun among players who say they ignore their individual statistics.

"Nowadays, between the media, your statistics being on the scoreboard every time you hit and people asking you asking questions, it's impossible not to know where you stand," Braun said Monday before the Brewers met the Cardinals.

The Brewers left fielder likes where he stands these days.

On the strength of an 18-for-42 showing over his past 11 games, Braun has passed Jose Reyes for the lead in the N.L. batting race. He entered Monday's game against the Cardinals hitting .335, two points ahead of the ailing Reyes.

And yes, Braun is very aware.

"It's not something you give a lot of thought to until you get to this point in the season and it becomes real," he said. "The goal is always to be consistent. When you hit for a high average over the course of a season, it means you've been consistent. It's definitely something I'm proud of but the goal is to be where I am in three and a half week, not today."

Braun also leads the N.L. with 95 runs and a .994 OPS, which make him a leading contender for MVP honors. His closest competition looks to be Dodgers CF Matt Kemp, who ranks top three in average (.320), homers (32) and RBIs (105), and Brewers teammate Prince Fielder. Hitting cleanup behind Braun, Fielder leads the N.L. with 107 RBIs and is second with a .407 OBP, just ahead of Braun at .404.

"They're both having great years," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

While Braun knows all about new-wave numbers, he remains old school in his thinking.

"The two most important statistics that get lost because they're coming up with a new statistic every day are runs scored and runs driven in," Braun said. "Those statistics are dependent upon teammates but they still are the two most important statistics in the game, without a doubt."
He should know, considering all the numbers he doesn't ignore.


(sportingnews.com)