Talking Baseball

Good Saturday afternoon baseball fans! Here is Part III of our five part series chronicling the top ten/eleven young impact players in baseball.

Today’s two players are Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun and Dodgers catcher Russell Martin.

We have already seen Hanley Ramirez, the Upton brothers, Jay Bruce and Prince Fielder make their appearance on this list, which is not in any set order-it is completely random, now it is time to take a look at Braun and Martin.

Ryan Braun has been an added boost to the Brewers lineup since his call-up in 2007 as he sports a .311 career batting average in only 179 games. He has played third base (2007) and now left field.

Braun was named the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year for his superb performance on the field. He finished with a .324 batting average, 91 runs scored, 34 home runs, 94 RBIs, 26 doubles and 6 triples.

He already has amassed 51 career home runs and 148 RBIs in only 179 games played. Braun can play almost any outfield spot plus third base for the Brew Crew. His first year numbers are no joke as he is floating around .300 right now (.290).

Braun has a shot at making the NL All-Star team as a reserve, but he would have to be picked by the NL manager which is Rockies skipper Clint Hurdle. The outfield in the National League is so stacked with talent that Braun will probably be the odd man out because he is still working his way towards becoming a household name across MLB Nation.

Moving on to one of the best catchers in the league, and the possible starter behind the dish for the NL All-Stars, it is time to look at Russell Martin of the Dodgers.

Martin has been the catcher the Dodgers have been looking for ever since Mike Piazza left Dodger-town many years ago. Martin can hit for average, he can hit for power and he can flat out catch a superb game.

Martin is one of the best game callers in the league and is evidenced by the respect that his pitching staff has for him. He is also one of the best offensive catchers in the league with a career .293 batting average (he is sporting a .314 average for 2008 so far) and 29 RBIs.

One thing that Martin has added to his plethora of talents is the ability to not only run the bases well but to steal a good chunk of them. Martin, for a catcher, already has 37 stolen bases for his career. He finished the 2007 season with 21. 21 stolen bases for a catcher in a career is unheard of, but for an entire season, that my friends is astounding.

Martin is a quiet leader in the Dodgers clubhouse but his bat and glove do the majority of the talking. He is such a down to earth guy that last year, when he was voted to the NL All-Star team, he personally wrote thank-you notes to the entire Dodgers staff and front office for their support. Who does that nowadays? Especially from a professional ballplayer. That is why Martin is such a popular player in Dodger-town.

He is neck and neck with Cubs catcher Geovany Soto in All-Star voting for the 2008 game but should be on the team no matter what. By the way, Martin also has 7 triples in his career, as a catcher. It is hard to look past. This kid has incredible talent and will be one of the best catchers in the league for a long time.

Check back tomorrow afternoon for Part IV of this five part series…Happy Early Father’s Day!

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