It may seem unbelievable, but the Atlanta Braves were among the poorest teams in Major League Baseball for extended periods of time during their existence.
From 1917 to 1945, the Boston Braves were stuck in mediocrity. They played for a short time in Milwaukee before relocating to Atlanta, where they were unable to assemble a winning team between 1966 and 1990. After that altered in 1991, the team has participated in six World Series and won two of them (1995 and 2021).
The Braves have won 23 division crowns, 18 National League pennants, and four World Series overall. Some of baseball’s biggest names have come from this team over the years; some have gone on to become Hall of Famers or are projected to do so
Let’s examine the top ten Atlanta Braves of all time in more detail.
10. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.Ronald Acuna Jr., in his brief career, has emerged as the Braves’ and possibly baseball’s face. In addition to winning a World Series, Acuna was named NL MVP and NL Rookie of the Year. He is a four-time All-Star. Additionally, he leads all of baseball in stolen bases twice. All of this has been accomplished despite the fact that he has struggled with ailments in recent years. Acuna, though, is very close to being inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame.
9. Former outfielder Dale Murphy
Freestar
Dale Murphy, more than the legendary Hank Aaron, is the player who most represents the Braves. For fourteen years, Murph was the Braves’ star player and representative. He had a reputation as a powerful hitter who could end a game with a single swing of the bat. He was the best player the Braves had on the field for a spell. Murphy won five Gold Gloves, was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time National League MVP, and a two-time leader in RBI and home runs. Regretfully, Murphy had already departed during the Braves’ World Series victories in the 1990s.
8. First baseman Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman, like Dale Murphy, has emerged as the Braves’ face. Freeman did win a World Series ring with the team in 2021, unlike Murphy. Freeman has amassed over 1,100 RBIs, 321 home runs, and a.301 batting average during his MLB career. In addition to being the NL MVP, he has won three Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, and was an All-Star seven times.
7. Pitcher Warren Spahn
The Braves have a rich history of excellent pitchers, beginning with Warren Spahn. With a 3.09 earned run average while pitching for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, Spahn won 363 games. Spahn won the Cy Young Award, was a 17-time All-Star, and won the World Series. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 and also threw two no-hitters when he was 39 and 40 years old.
6. Third baseman Eddie Mathews
Eddie Matthews is not only a fantastic player but he also plays for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. With 521 home runs and almost 1,400 runs batted in, Mathews had a.271 batting average. He was a 12-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. When Mathews hit the game-winning home run in game four of the 1957 World Series to upset the New York Yankees, it was one of the best moments of his career.
5. Pitcher John Smoltz
Following his trade from the Detroit Tigers, John Smoltz helped establish the Braves’ pitching hegemony in the 1990s. Smoltz established himself as a starter before changing the course of his career to play closer. Smoltz was renowned for his fastball, which had the ability to leave opponents scratching their heads and perplexed. Over his career, Smoltz had a 3.33 ERA and won 213 games. His most noteworthy statistic throughout his Hall of Fame career was that he struck out over 3,000 batters. In 1992, he also contributed to the Atlanta Braves’ World Series victory.
4. Pitcher Tom Glavine
Don’t tell any batter who faced Tom Glavine that he didn’t appear to be a formidable pitcher. MLB hitters were plagued by Glavine’s change-up for years. He was a product of the Braves system and went on to lead the legendary pitching staff that captured a World Series. With a 3.54 ERA over his career, Glavine won 305 games. In addition, he is a ten-time All-Star, a two-time Cy Young winner, the National League’s winning leader five times, and a four-time Silver Slugger winner. With more than 91% of the voting, Glavine was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
3. Third baseman Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones appears to have been intended to be a Braves player. The Braves were determined to select pitcher Todd Van Poppel in the 1990 draft. However, the Braves selected Jones when Poppel made it apparent that he did not want to play for them. Jones batted.303 with 458 home runs and more over 1,600 RBIs throughout his Braves career. Jones is also the 2008 hitting champion, the winner of the World Series, and the NL MVP. In 2018, Jones became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
2. Pitcher Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux was arguably the most dominant pitcher in MLB history. Maddux began his career with the Chicago Cubs but found his footing in Atlanta. When opponents tried to hit Maddux, they frequently referred to his pitches as dirty. His repertoire consisted of four pitches: a splitter, a cutter, a curveball, and a four-seam fastball. With a 3.16 ERA, Maddux won 355 games because to those four pitches. The only pitchers in MLB history to win four straight Cy Young Awards are Maddux and Randy Johnson. 2014 saw Maddux’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1. Hank Aaron is an outfielder.
Was there any dispute as to who the best player for the Braves was? Hammerin’ Hank is undoubtedly the first name that springs to mind when you think of the Braves. Hank From Milwaukee to Atlanta, Aaron spent twenty years as a player with the Braves. You read it right: he was a 25-time All-Star, an NL MVP, a World Series champion, and for many years, the league leader in home runs. Aaron was a very productive batter during his career.305 with about 2,300 RBIs and 755 home homers. In 1982, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
