For Ryan Braun, call this a valuable lesson

Reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun leads the league in home runs and RBIs and is sixth with a .311 batting average. His .999 OPS is also tops in the NL.

While those numbers normally would make him the front-runner to repeat as league MVP, Braun is not exactly at the top of everyone's list.

Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Matt Holliday and even Aroldis Chapman have been mentioned as candidates over Braun.

That's what happens when a player tests positive for elevated testosterone. Even though Braun's 50-game suspension was later overturned by an arbitrator, his reputation was tarnished.

Having another MVP-caliber season while being highly scrutinized may be proof that Braun's production was not reliant on the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

But the damage has been done. Braun may have been able to avoid that 50-game suspension, but he certainly will be penalized by the voters for this year's MVP.


(washingtonexaminer.com)