MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Brewers veteran Ryan Braun said he is more likely to continue playing beyond 2020 due to the unusual circumstances of this pandemic-shortened season.
Braun said in January that he was considering retiring after the season. He was more optimistic about his future in baseball on Saturday when the Brewers held the first full-team training session of their summer camp ahead of the 60-game season that begins later this month.
“I feel like I’m more likely to play a year longer than I expected a few months ago,” said Braun.
Braun, the 2011 National League MVP, is entering the final season of a five-year, $ 105 million contract and will turn 37 in November.
Those circumstances help explain why Braun was unsure in January whether he would play in 2021.
“I don’t take it for granted that this could be my last year playing baseball,” Braun said at the time. “Obviously, there is a sense of urgency every year, but for me, knowing that this could be my last chance is something that adds to that sense of urgency.”
Braun knows he will be cooler at the end of this season than he would be after a 162 game schedule. The National League is also embracing the designated hitter this season, a move that could help Braun extend his career.
“Obviously at this age and in my career, it is very attractive to me to have the DH option for a decent percentage of my at-bats,” said Braun.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Braun will spend some time at DH but will also play in right field and first base.
“We will have multiple people in that role,” Counsell said. “There will be no starting DH. For our team, you will see Ryan there. I probably liked it so much for Christian Yelich when I saw the rule, the ability to keep him in the lineup for more games, especially in the beginning here when we are going to have to have be very careful with soft tissue injuries in men. Those are the two names that come to mind from the beginning. “
Braun said he was skeptical at times that there would even be a season when coronavirus cases increased in the US and baseball labor negotiations dragged on. He also considered not playing this season, and has yet to completely rule out taking the year off.
Braun’s wife Larisa gave birth to the couple’s third child, a boy named Carter James, on May 31. Larisa and the children have yet to leave the Southern California family home to join Braun in Milwaukee.
“The more I learned about the health and safety protocols that were in place, the more comfortable I became with everything,” said Braun. “But again, I continue to evaluate day by day, and Larisa and I continue to have conversations about what this looks like, if it is safe for me to be here, if it would be safe for them. Join me here. And I think many players are in the same situation when trying to evaluate it day by day and see what makes the most sense for them. “
When healthy, Braun remains productive.
He hit .285 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs with a .343 base percentage and .505 slugging percentage last year while playing 144 games, his most since 2012. He had an OPS of 1,018 in August and .912. in September as the Brewers made a late-season raise to their second straight playoff spot.
Braun believes that the shorter season could boost his production.
“For me personally, playing fewer games is beneficial,” said Braun. “I think I have been able to be pretty good in the last few September because when I know we are working with a smaller sample size, I can focus on running to the finish line.”
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