Ryan Braun comes up short of vote total needed to remain on Hall of Fame ballot

Any list of the greatest Milwaukee Brewers of all time must include the name Ryan Braun. For 14 seasons, "Brauny," as he is endearingly referred to by the Milwaukee faithful, has donned a Brewers uniform, compiling an incredible resume that will keep his name in the record books for generations.

The franchise leader in career home runs, with 101 more than Robin Yount, who checks in at second on that list, Braun was an instant spark to the Brewers' lineup the second he debuted in 2007. Two years after the Brewers drafted him with the 5th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft, Braun, who was a third baseman during his inaugural season, was named NL Rookie of the Year and even received MVP votes after slugging 34 homers and 26 doubles at just 23 years old.

His rookie campaign kick-started what was Braun's best run of success; from 2008 to 2012, Braun made five consecutive All-Star Games, earned five consecutive Silver Slugger Awards, and was named the National League MVP in 2011. Not only did he find a great deal of individual success, but Braun was a key reason for the Brewers returning to the postseason for the first time in 26 years in 2008, and the franchise's first ever NLCS appearance in 2011.

Braun's impressive resume was more than enough to earn him a spot on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, which was the first year he was eligible. However, in large part due to his PED scandal that cast a dark cloud over his otherwise incredible career in Milwaukee, Braun wasn't seen as a likely name to eventually be inducted into the HOF. Tonight, when the ballots were revealed, that belief came to fruition.

Ryan Braun earns 3.5% of Hall of Fame vote resulting in his removal from the ballot next year

Players on the HOF ballot need to earn at least 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot the next season when they would once again have a chance to reach the 75% threshold needed to be inducted into the HOF.

This year, two players, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, eclipsed the 75% mark and were inducted into the HOF. Unfortunately, Brauny earned just 3.5% of the vote, meaning he won't appear on the ballot next year and his chances of being inducted into the Hall of Fame are all but gone. Technically, the HOF Eras Committee could still induct Braun at some point, but such a situation feels highly unlikely if not impossible given Braun's PED suspension and the Baseball Writers Association of America's opposition to inducting such players into the HOF.

It's an unfortunate development for Braun, who remains one of the best Brewers in franchise history. Discussions continue over whether or not Braun's number "8" will be retired by the Brewers, which would certainly be a nice consolation after missing out on the HOF. No Brewer has worn the number 8 since Braun retired in 2020, and even if the organization doesn't officially retire the number, it's very possible no player will don the number ever again, in respect to the storied career that Brauny had in Milwaukee.