Back in the cold months of Winter I wrote up five reasons why I thought Ryan Braun would return to the MVP form he showed in 2011. I felt biased writing the piece as I thought it was kind of silly to say he would be a dynamic player after the worst year of his career. I had good reason to say that he would be, however, because he received surgery on a nagging nerve issue in his thumb that slowed down his production last year. Plus Braun said it was the best his thumb felt in a long time.

Right now, I don’t feel any [discomfort], and I haven’t been able to say that for two years,” Braun said. “I think I’ve told you guys, it [bothered me] shaking hands, writing you know, just everyday activities. Now I don’t feel it at all, so I’m excited.”

“I’m encouraged by how it feels, but at the same time, I think I have to be cautiously optimistic [until] I get into spring training and see how it responds,” Ryan Braun said. “But it hasn’t felt this good in a really long time.”

Entering April, I was extremely optimistic about Ryan Braun coming into the season. Then seeing Kyle Loshe get destroyed on Opening Day and Braun leaving the game early made the whole day turn into total crap. I was excited to see how they would respond, and to do that it honestly made Opening Day the worst it has ever been for me. It’s been all to frustrating, but I cracked under it while watching the Brewers play the worst baseball that I have ever seen in my life.

The Brewers were the first team in Major League Baseball to reach 20 losses and at that point my frustration was beyond high with everyone on the team. I wanted Ron Roenicke to get canned (thank you Doug Melvin) and I was sick of seeing Ryan Braun playing like a joke. I was so beyond frustrated with Bruan’s play I wanted to delete everyone article I ever made praising him for his time with the Brewers. When I realized that he would make 20 million next year till the end of his contract I wanted to just give up on this team as a whole. I was right about most of the Brewers not being who they were, but I didn’t expect them to be this bad. Yes, I was right about him at first, but I switched in frustration. I am here to say I was wrong though.

Ryan Braun is now on pace to hit 41 home runs and drive in 124 runs. He currently is batting .273 with 11 home runs and has 33 runs batted in. The 41 home runs and 124 runs batted in would all be career highs for him as it would out play his MVP caliber seasons. Ryan Braun’s sweet swing is back, and you know what they say: numbers never ever lie.

Because of Harper, Braun is just the 2nd hottest player in baseball. Yes I said just because that is something crazy to think he is only the 2nd hottest player in baseball right now because Bryce Harper is finally hitting his stride. Braun has 7 home runs and 24 runs batted in the first 22 days of May which includes a batting average of .291.

Braun will cool down eventually and have a slump but with a couple of more hot streaks like every player gets, Braun should have no problem having a great season once again for the Brewers.

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