PHOENIX -- Ryan Braun went 1-for-3 with a single in his spring debut, a 6-3 win over the D-backs that featured two home runs and three RBIs from Travis Shaw and a two-run homer from top Brewers prospect Keston Hiura.
For Braun, those three at-bats as Milwaukee's designated hitter marked his first opportunity to put his new swing into action. Braun worked with private coaches over the offseason on adjustments aimed at mitigating the hard luck he experienced last year, when his production didn’t match his hard-hit rate.
Has Braun noticed any difference in batting practice?
“Come watch me take BP,” he said. “It’s better. It’s significantly better. The ball is carrying significantly better than it has in years past. We’ll see how it translates to game action, but obviously I’ve taken BP out here on the same field for a long time, and the ball is carrying significantly further than it has in a long time -- maybe ever. It’s encouraging, for sure.”
Brewers manager Craig Counsell has seen it, too.
“He’s made an attempt at tweaking some little things and trying to get in the zone a little sooner,” Counsell said. “He’s been really pleased with the batting-practice results. Now he just has to take it into the game. It’s nice to, on the first day, get a hit out of the way.”
Braun said it would take 15-20 at-bats to know whether that good feeling would translate into games. He expects to play most of the Brewers’ remaining home games this spring, including Sunday against the Cubs, when he anticipates he'll be manning the outfield.
“I’m very confident this is going to make me a better hitter,” he said.