Ryan Braun is a former American professional baseball left fielder and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers between 2007 and 2021. As one of the most prolific hitters of his era, Braun achieved numerous accomplishments over his career that made him one of the most collectible players among baseball card enthusiasts.

Braun’s MLB career began in spectacular fashion. As a highly-touted prospect coming out of the University of Miami, Braun was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2005 MLB Draft by the Brewers. He quickly rose through Milwaukee’s farm system and made his MLB debut in 2007. That rookie season was nothing short of magnificent, as Braun slammed 34 home runs and drove in 97 runs en route to capturing the National League Rookie of the Year award. His dominance right out of the gate immediately elevated interest in collecting his rookie cards.

Some of Braun’s most sought-after rookie cards from 2007 include his Topps Chrome Refractor parallel (#126), Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Autograph (#BPA), and Topps Rookie Debut (#RD) issue. Each of these cards showcase Braun’s early promise and all carry premium valuations today due to his eventual Hall of Fame caliber career. For example, high-grade copies of his Topps Chrome Refractor have sold for over $1,000 given his superstar status. Meanwhile, low-printed parallels like his Bowman Chrome autograph regularly command $500-$750 in the secondary market.

Beyond his rookie season, Braun continued piling up impressive accolades that further increased demand for his post-rookie cards. From 2008-2012, he was named to the National League All-Star team five consecutive years. Braun also finished in the top-6 of NL Most Valuable Player voting four times during this span, winning the MVP award in 2011 when he smacked 33 home runs and led the NL with a .332 batting average and .597 slugging percentage. Naturally, cards issued during this prime period have retained significant collector value. Highlights include rare parallels of his 2008 Topps Chrome Autograph, 2010 Topps Update Gold Parallel (#176), and 2012 Topps Update Silver Pack Parallel (#USP-99). Each of these parallels can sell for $100-300 based on condition.

However, Braun’s career and memorabilia collection took a major hit in relation to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In late 2011, a positive drug test for elevated testosterone placed Braun’s MVP award in serious jeopardy. While he vehemently denied usage and won his appeal based on a laboratory technicality, evidence would later surface directly tying Braun to PEDs. His reputation and credibility were compromised as a result. Then in 2016, after retiring from MLB, Braun finally admitted guilt for using PEDs during his 2011 MVP season. This completely tainted what were once some of the most desirable years of his baseball cards. Even high-quality examples of what were previously valuable parallels from 2008-2012 suffered greatly diminished values post-confession.

While Braun’s legacy was marred by PED controversy, the prolific offensive seasons he did achieve still make his baseball cards worth collecting today. From 2013 onward, after serving a 65-game suspension for his PED ties, Braun’s stats rebounded pretty well as he continued mashing home runs. He is also fondly remembered for key contributions to Milwaukee’s NLCS appearances in 2018 and 2021 later in his 14-year career. Modern parallels and refractors from this period hold steady valuation, including issues like 2016 Topps Chrome Green Refractor (#196), 2018 Topps Fire Variation Gold Parallel (#FV-22), and 2021 Topps Blue Refractor (#12). Each remains sought after and can be acquired for $50-150 based on condition, showing collectors are still intrigued by Braun despite his fall from grace.

In summary, Ryan Braun put together an impressive MLB tenure worthy of strong baseball card collecting interest for over a decade. While PED use damaged the allure of some of his best seasons, quality cards drafted from other productive years still excite fans of the game. With impressive early accolades and consistent power numbers throughout his career, Braun’s collection endures as a window into evaluating the career of one of baseball’s most notable sluggers from the 2000s and 2010s. Savvy collectors can find deals on cards that don’t carry the same stigma as his heavily doubted MVP period, making Braun’s diversified memorabilia set an engaging collecting pursuit even today.