It is safe to say that the Atlanta Braves are one of the most storied franchises in all of the MLB, making a name for themselves even before they settled in Atlanta. Plenty of big-name players have passed through their roster, and while their recent success certainly has made headlines, so have some of their first seasons too.
Founded all the way back on January 20, 1871, as the Boston Red Stockings, the team we currently call the Atlanta Braves made stops in Boston and Milwaukee before staking their claim down south. Having finally arrived in Atlanta in 1966, the Braves have created a storied history of successes and struggles that have built that team into what they are today.
The following players are the 10 best players to ever suit up for the Braves – what would your top 10 look like?
10. Andruw Jones
Center Fielder
Years with Braves: 1996-2007
Notable Accolades: 5-time NL All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 2 top-10 MVP finishes
The types of plays that Andruw Jones made look regular out in center field really desensitized MLB fans from just how awesome he was. From scaling walls to diving headlong to haul in a gapper, Jones defined what it meant to still be a kid at heart while playing the game of baseball, making him the perfect candidate to kick off the greatest Braves of all time list.
Having earned a top-5 Rookie of the Year award standing, the promise surrounding Jones was high, something he helped realize already in his second full season in the big leagues. Jones was a superstar athlete, and it was very obvious that he loved playing the game, something that was very evident through his 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards.
9. Phil Niekro
Starting Pitcher
Years with Braves: 1966-1983, 1987
Notable Accolades: 5-time NL All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove winner, 5 top-10 Cy Young finishes
Having spent 21 seasons with the Braves, right-hander Phil Niekro more than made a name for himself as a starting pitcher. With 268 wins and a 3.35 ERA to his name during his time with the Braves, Niekro will forever be included in the history annals for Atlanta.
Niekro feels underappreciated for his entire MLB career, as he played for four different teams spread during his 24-year career (Braves, Indians, Yankees, Blue Jays). While Niekro does sit top-5 in the Atlanta history books for wins in a season (2nd – 23), innings pitched (1st – 342), and most strikeouts (2nd – 262), he also has not-so-good records, like walks in a season (1st – 164) and pitcher losses (1st – 20).
8. Dale Murphy
Catcher/First Baseman/Outfielder
Years with Braves: 1976-1990
Notable Accolades: 2 MVP awards, 5-time Gold Glove winner, 4-time Silver Slugger winner, 7-time NL All-Star
Having suited up in five different positions (C, 1B, LF, CF, RF) during his 15-year career with the Braves, Dale Murphy and his two back-to-back MVP awards certainly made a name for themselves.
Hitting 36 home runs in both of his MVP seasons (1982 & 1983), Murphy was an offensive powerhouse, often leading both the team and league in key offensive categories. While it is a shame that the Braves were unable to win a championship before 2000 with Murphy on the team, he certainly earned his spot on the greatest Braves of all time list, as well as being a big reason for their success in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
7. Tom Glavine
Starting Pitcher
Years with Braves: 1987-2002, 2008
Notable Accolades: 2-time Cy Young award winner, 10-time NL All-Star, 4-time Silver Slugger winner
The absolute pitching studs that the Braves have had over the years are a big testament to why they have been so good for so long – and Tom Glavine has a lot to say about that.
244 career wins, 2,091 strikeouts, and a 3.41 ERA across 17 years is the epitome of consistency, and the soft-spoken Glavine filled his role quite nicely with the Braves. While he didn’t spend all of his career with Atlanta, Glavine did things the right way, embodying what it means to be a member of the Braves – oh, and he could hit too.
6. Chipper Jones
Third Baseman
Years with Braves:1993-2012
Notable Accolades: 1-time MVP winner, 5 Top-10 MVP finishes, 8-time NL All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger winner
A fan favorite through and through, Chipper Jones may be a bit lower on this list than many may think he should be. Exceptional both at the dish and in the field, Jones was a cornerstone for the franchise when they desperately needed one.
Starting in his rookie season, Jones put on a masterclass of how to be an MLB player – in his rookie season, not only did he place second in the Rookie of the Year voting, but he also recorded a top-20 finish in the overall MVP rankings as well.
Across his first nine seasons in the league, Jones earned a top-25 MVP race finish in each, an astounding fact for a player that averaged only 91 strikeouts per season while boasting a career .303 batting average, easily making him one of the greatest Braves of all time.
5. John Smoltz
Starting Pitcher
Years with Braves: 1988-2008
Notable Accolades: 1-time Cy Young award winner, 8-time NL All-Star, 4 Top-5 Cy Young Award finishes
Imagine having your MLB debut looking like this: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 1 ER, and a W. Well, John Smoltz didn’t have to dream this up, he lived it on July 23, 1988.
The Braves were absolutely lucky enough to have the likes of Glavine, Jones, and Smoltz (plus our #4 entry) all together for a number of years, making for one of the best teams that the Braves ever fielded. It is safe to say that Smoltz was the least recognized out of the bunch, especially with the seamless transition he made from the starting rotation to the bullpen after missing the entire 2000 season, then switching back to a starter for his final four years in Atlanta.
4. Greg Maddux
Starting Pitcher
Years with Braves: 1993-2003
Notable Accolades: 3-time Cy Young award winner, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 6-time NL All-Star
It is an embarrassment of riches for the Braves and their pitchers, as players like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are really good but still find themselves looking up at the top of the Greatest Braves list.
For Maddux, he spent most of his time in the MLB with the Braves – 11 seasons to be exact. In those 11 seasons, Maddux earned a ton of MVP respect (5 Top-15 finishes) on his way to recording 194 victories and 1,828 strikeouts.
A ridiculous 2.63 ERA is why Maddux is one of the Greatest Braves of all time – among other reasons.
3. Eddie Matthews
Third Baseman
Years with Braves: 1952-1966
Notable Accolades: 9-time NL All-Star, 4 Top-10 MVP finishes
Having been voted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1978, Eddie Matthews earned the seal of approval as one of the greatest Braves of all time. Having suited up for the Braves for the first 15 years of his career, it is safe to say the impact Matthews had on baseball in Milwaukee won’t be forgotten.
13 of his years with the Braves were spent with the team located in Milwaukee, which includes his eight consecutive seasons of being an All-Star. Over 2,200 hits, 493 home runs, and 1,453 RBIs for Matthews while boasting a .273 average and over 4,100 total bases paints a very clear picture as to why his name will forever be associated with this franchise.
2. Warren Spahn
Starting Pitcher
Years with Braves: 1942, 1946-1964
Notable Accolades: 1-time Cy Young award winner, 14-time NL All-Star, 363 wins
After playing his rookie season in 1942, southpaw Warren Spahn left baseball and joined the war for the next three years. Having returned, Spahn rejoined the then-Boston Braves in 1946, and he never looked back.
Outside of his All-Star appearances and his 1957 Cy Young Award, Spahn’s biggest professional accomplishment lies in just how consistent he was – he earned 12 top-15 finishes in the MVP race, and 4 top-3 Cy Young award finishes (in years he did not win). Having been on the same Milwaukee team as Matthews, Spahn was a pitching force, racking up nine seasons of a sub-3.00 ERA (which includes three years of having the lowest ERA in the MLB).
1. Hank Aaron
Outfielder
Years with Braves: 1954-1974
Notable Accolades: 1-time MVP winner, 21-time NL All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner, No.2 All-time HR Leader (755)
There is no better option for the top of the list of the best Braves of all time – because Henry (or Hank) Aaron is the epitome of what it means to be a Brave.
Above all else, Aaron should be remembered for how he helped break racial barriers in the MLB, regularly speaking out against systemic racism. Having played his way up from a semi-pro team (Black Bears) to the Negro Baseball League (Indianapolis Clowns) and finally joining the Boston Braves in 1952, Aaron bid his time and made his way through the ranks, and he was thankfully able to experience a ton of great results throughout his playing career.
In his career, Aaron made stops with the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers during his career, Aaron hit at least 10 home runs in every single one of his 23 seasons, including eight years of 40+ home runs. Having broken Babe Ruth’s long-standing home run record of 714 (set in 1935), Aaron also became the first player in MLB history to have 500 home runs and 3,000 hits.
Honorable Mention
Kid Nichols is a name that most baseball fans have never heard before, yet he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Braves of all time.
Having played for the Boston Beaneaters from 1890 through 1901, Nichols pitched in a whopping 557 games, earning 330 victories and a 64.3 winning percentage. He pitched in 42+ games and won at least 20 games in each of his first 10 seasons, including pitching a complete game in every single game (47) he pitched in during his rookie year.
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