Braves news and notes - Andruw Jones on Hall of Fame ballot, Matzek changing numbers, and more

Here's a look at what's happening around Braves Country, including a former centerfield vying for the Baseball Hall of Fame

It's been a busy few days in Braves Country, and sometimes in the rush to cover the big breaking stories of the day, some of the smaller news nuggets fall through the cracks. We've got you taken care of on everything from Andruw Jones' Hall of Fame candidacy to some interesting number changes on the roster.

Andruw Jones still vying for Hall of Fame

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Hall of Fame ballot was released on Monday, and there's several new additions to the 26 candidates, including Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Chase Utley.

Former Braves outfielder Andruw Jones is still on there, as well. 

You're given a maximum ten ballots for induction; failing to reach the 75% threshold after ten tries means your only option is by an "Era Committee" - tasked with specific time periods, the 16-person panel rotates through different time periods and considers different players, managers, and umpires that were influential in that era's time period. 

(This is the group that, when looking at players whose primarily contributions came after 1980, elected former Atlanta Braves first baseman Fred McGriff to the Hall.)

Jones is appearing on his 7th ballot - he reached 58.1% of the vote in 2023, and is within striking distance of the minimum threshold for induction thanks to the 17-point jump over 2022. 

Former Braves Bartolo Colon (2017) and Brandon Phillips (2017) are first-time nominees on this year's ballot, and former closer Billy Wagner (2010) is on his 9th ballot, having received 68.1% of the vote last season. 

Tyler Matzek changed his number...maybe

Reliever Tyler Matzek, hero of the 2021 postseason, has been out of commission since early in 2022 after having Tommy John surgery. 

He's expected back for 2024 spring training, and he'll be wearing a new number, possibly. 

The Braves online roster lists Tyler Matzek as having switched to #21. 

If you can't remember a #21 with the Braves in recent history, there's a reason for that - it was formerly retired in 1965, soon after Warren Spahn retired. 

The Hall of Famer, who debuted in 1942 as #16 and then lost three seasons of his career to military service, returned and donned #21 for the rest of his career. Going 363-245 with a 3.09 ERA and an even 100 WAR, Spahn won the 1957 Cy Young, had three other top three finishes, and was a 17-time All Star for both Boston and Milwaukee. 

There's been no formal announcement of plans to make #21 an active number again, and it's possibly just an online error, but we'll update when we learn more. 

UPDATE: The online roster now shows Matzek as #68, so it appears to have been an error.  

Kyle Wright says goodbye to Atlanta

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The starting pitcher from Huntsville, AL, traded to Kansas City for former top prospect Jackson Kowar last Friday, took to Instagram to share his thoughts and say goodbye to the city of Atlanta and its fans. 

Said Wright: 

Thank you to the @braves for giving me the opportunity to play for my favorite childhood team. The memories and friendships I have made are lifelong and ones I will cherish forever. To everyone who supported me, it was an honor to get to put on that jersey for you all. I’m thankful for those who believed in me even when I started to have doubts of myself. That truly helped lead me to where I am today.
Ready for this new opportunity with the @kcroyals. I promise to show up everyday and give it everything I’ve got. I’m excited for the future of this organization and can’t wait to be apart of helping this team work towards the ultimate goal.

Wright is recovering from shoulder surgery and is projected to miss all of 2024, but in his last full season, 2022, he led all of MLB in wins with 21 after making 30 starts with a 3.19 ERA. 

He's in his first of three seasons of arbitration, and will be a free agent in 2027. 

Braves Today continues to keep you covered on all the happenings across Major League Baseball, from free agency to the Winter Meetings to trade acquisitions. 

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