A rookie season like Braun's comes like once every 5-10 years. Bruce just isn't going to keep pace, there's no way. Esp. given his struggles in his past few games, it looks like people are starting to figure out how to pitch to him. If he finishes with a better line than 280/18 HR/60 RBI/60 R I will be astonished.
A rookie season like Braun's comes like once every 5-10 years. Bruce just isn't going to keep pace, there's no way. Esp. given his struggles in his past few games, it looks like people are starting to figure out how to pitch to him. If he finishes with a better line than 280/18 HR/60 RBI/60 R I will be astonished.
You sound like a guy who missed out on him and you are praying that he sucks... I gotta tell ya though... if you watch this kid he is a hitter... he uses all fields very well so he will put up solid numbers... of course bruce isn't going to put up Braun numbers... Braun was on pace for .320/48/130 last year... but it doesn't mean Bruce can't put up David Wright rookie numbers... very solid numbers
A rookie season like Braun's comes like once every 5-10 years. Bruce just isn't going to keep pace, there's no way. Esp. given his struggles in his past few games, it looks like people are starting to figure out how to pitch to him. If he finishes with a better line than 280/18 HR/60 RBI/60 R I will be astonished.
I agree, it's incredibly rare to see a rookie player continue on a streak like Braun had. On the other hand, the rookies that come flying out of the gate only to slow down seem to occur more often. Anyone remember Francoeur's rookie season in which he got a Sports Illustrated cover calling him "The Natural"?
That's not to say Bruce won't be solid this year, just don't be surprised when he has to take a few lumps along the way.
CBMGreatOne wrote:Sure, but Chris Shelton is an extreme example. Bruce has actually been more impressive than Braun was because of his BB/K ratio. That said, I don't expect the kind of impact we got from Braun last year. That was more of an outlier than Shelton even.
Yea I know he is an extreme example, but just as extreme as Braun as you admitted to in your last sentence. I was just showing an example of the extreme outlier in the opposite direction. So basically we have determined that the Bruce could be Braun or Shelton or anywhere in between, in essence nothing.
A rookie season like Braun's comes like once every 5-10 years. Bruce just isn't going to keep pace, there's no way. Esp. given his struggles in his past few games, it looks like people are starting to figure out how to pitch to him. If he finishes with a better line than 280/18 HR/60 RBI/60 R I will be astonished.
There is just no way to be sure at this point. With a rookie hitter, its not just about talent, its about how well they adjust to the adjustments that pitchers are making to deal with them. Braun made those adjustments fast. So did Pujols in his first year. So the question isn't whether or not Bruce is a great hitter, he obviously is. The question is whether he's a smart hitter.
We don't have a statistically significant sample size to work off of yet, so lets put stat comparisons aside for a second. One thing that I think may indicate a big year for Bruce (maybe not as big as Braun or Pujols, but big none the less) is that when he was still in the minors, almost overnight, he made an adjustment in his swing that radically cut down his K's. The question is, can he make similar adjustments at the MLB level. I own him in two leagues, so I'm bias, but I think he can.
"This guy leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair..."
Fantasy baseball is always a game of what have you done for me lately. Bruce doesn't get a hit in 3 games and cbssportsline puts up a blue flag saying hitless in last 15. Panic sets in, despite his excellent track record, and even though he is still driving balls to the wall. Comparisons that are being made are futile, and I think we should just sit back and enjoy watching the kid develop.
Why does everyone feel the need to compare every rook to Braun? Braun is the absolute best case scenario you can possibly imagine for a rookie with no history that you just grabbed off waivers. It's equivalent to hitting the lottery. I seriously doubt Bruce or any rookie going forward will match Braun's 07.
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." ~George Carlin
Yoda wrote:Why does everyone feel the need to compare every rook to Braun? Braun is the absolute best case scenario you can possibly imagine for a rookie with no history that you just grabbed off waivers. It's equivalent to hitting the lottery. I seriously doubt Bruce or any rookie going forward will match Braun's 07.
Well said and I agree 100%.
The Bruce/Braun comparisons almost made sense since Bruce has been the #1 prospect for a while. What blew me away was the Headley threads asking if he could produce like Braun. I like Headley, but give me a break. Especially playing in Petco.
There are a few things with the New York Yankees that never change. That's pride, tradition, and most of all, we have the greatest fans in the world. -Derek Jeter, 9/21/08 -- last words from old Yankee Stadium
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by freeling_prideful » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:25 am 
