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Former Atlanta Braves Fare Well in Modern-Era Top 50 List

A Top 50 from the last 30 years has the Atlanta Braves well represented with six former players.

CJ Errickson

Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux (31) and pitcher John Smoltz (29) and pitcher Tom Glavine (47) all made B/R's Top 50 players of the last 30 years list.
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux (31) and pitcher John Smoltz (29) and pitcher Tom Glavine (47) all made B/R's Top 50 players of the last 30 years list. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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This past week, Bleacher Report unveiled their top 50 players in the modern era for Major League Baseball, and six Atlanta Braves graced the list. Compiling a list of this degree when there are so many quality baseball players in the past 30 years is difficult, but here are Atlanta’s rankings. 

41. Andruw Jones – Outfielder

  • Career Stats: .254 BA, 1,204 runs, 1,289 RBI, 434 home runs, 67.0 WAR, 111 OPS+
  • Accolades: 5-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove, 1-time Silver Slugger

Andruw Jones was one of the best fielders in MLB history, earning 10 Gold Gloves in his 17-year career. As one of the top international prospects in MLB history, Jones was the first Brave to appear on the list. Here is what they said about his ranking:

"One of the most hyped prospects ever, Jones sent already lofty expectations soaring even higher when he hit two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series as a 19-year-old rookie.

"That less-than-stellar end to his career ultimately soured his overall legacy and kept him from putting up the no-doubt Hall of Fame numbers he appeared to be on track for in his 20s, but he still stands as one of the best two-way center fielders to ever play the game.” – Joel Reuter wrote.

40. Freddie Freeman – First Baseman (active)

  • Career Stats: .301 BA, 1,270 runs, 1,196 RBI, 333 home runs, 60.2 WAR, 143 OPS+
  • Accolades: 7-time All-Star, 1-time MVP (2020), 1-time Gold Glove, 1 World Series

Former Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman is next on the list. In 12 seasons with the club, Freeman saw the lows and the best of all as a World Series Champion in 2021. 

Here’s how B/R came up with his ranking:

“Freddie Freeman made his MLB debut for the Atlanta Braves during the 2010 season when he was only 20 years old. He was a very good player across five-and-a-half seasons, but since 2016, the 2007 second-round pick has emerged as a likely Hall of Famer.

“Since the start of the 2016 season, Freeman has hit .311 with a .943 OPS. During that period, he's led all of baseball in doubles (335), including setting a new Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record with 59 doubles in 2023.” – Tim Kelly wrote. 

Next on the list is one of the infamous 90’s pitching trio for the Braves. 

T-28. Tom Glavine, Starting Pitcher

  • Career Stats: 305-203 record, 3.54 ERA, 4,413.1 innings, 2,607 strikeouts, 66.7 WAR, 118 ERA+
  • Accolades: 10-time All-Star, 4-time Silver Slugger, 2-time Cy Young (1991, 1998), 1 World Series, Hall of Fame

Here's a quick rundown of where he sits on the all-time leaderboards among southpaws:

  • Starts: 682, 3rd
  • Wins: 305, 4th
  • Strikeouts: 2,607, 8th
  • Innings: 4,413.1, 7th

Glavine, who is in the Hall of Fame and was drafted by the team in 1984, is coming in at 28th on the list, tied with former Cleveland Indians (among others) slugger Jim Thome. Glavine was the starting pitcher in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series when he spun eight innings of one-hit ball to vanquish Thome's Indians.

One of the best left-handed pitchers in team history comes in as the third-best Brave in the modern era. Here’s his breakdown from B/R:

"Unlike Maddux, who was signed as a free agent, and John Smoltz, who was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers, Glavine was a homegrown arm for the Braves, selected in the second round of the 1984 draft. With a 3.30 ERA in 218.1 postseason innings and 1995 World Series MVP honors on his mantle, he was also arguably the best of Atlanta's 'Big Three' when it came to playoff performance."
—Joel Reuter wrote.

Next on the list is one of the best ‘old dogs’ in baseball history.

24. John Smoltz – SP/RP

  • Career Stats: 213-155 record, 154 saves, 3.33 ERA, 3,473 innings, 3,084 strikeouts, 69.0 WAR, 125 ERA+
  • Accolades: 8-time All-Star, NL Cy Young (1996), 1 World Series, Hall of Fame

Smoltz saw it all with the Braves, from starting pitcher in the 90s to becoming a closer after Tommy John surgery past 30 in the 2000s. Another famous member of the team’s elite pitching trio, Smoltz's resume speaks for itself, as he played at a high level for a long time. 

“Smoltzie was already damn good for the first half of his career, most notably during that Cy Young campaign in 1996 with a 2.94 ERA and MLB-best marks of 24 wins and 276 strikeouts. But he almost won another Cy Young in 2002, racking up 55 saves for the lone top-10 finish in an MVP vote (eighth place) of his career. And he was even better the following year, saving 45 games with a 1.12 ERA.

"Smoltz is also the only player in MLB history with at least 200 wins and 100 saves—though fellow broadcaster and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley (197 wins, 390 saves) sure is close." —Kerry Miller wrote.

Next is the best position player in Atlanta history, bar none. 

14. Chipper Jones – Third Baseman

  • Career Stats: .303 BA, 1,619 runs, 1,623 RBI, 468 home runs, 84.6 WAR, 141 OPS+
  • Accolades: 8-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger, 1-time MVP (1999), 1 World Series, Hall of Fame

One of the greatest hitters of all time comes in at 14. As one of the most consistent hitters on both sides of the plate in baseball history, ‘Mr. Reliable’ is a player who ranks second highest out of all Braves on the list.  

“The No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 draft and a top-five prospect in baseball prior to his 1995 debut, Chipper Jones had as much hype as any up-and-comer from the prospect era and more than lived up to it during his Hall of Fame career. He continued to play at a high level into his late 30s, winning the 2008 NL batting title as a 36-year-old when he hit .364/.470/.574 in 128 games and wrapped up his big league career with a .287/.377/.455 line and 124 OPS+ during his age-40 season.” – Joel Reuter said.

Last but certainly not least, is the best pitcher in team history.

9. Greg Maddux – Starting Pitcher

He threw 13 of those in his career, and no other pitcher has since touched the ‘Maddux’ and probably never will again with the way modern-era baseball is going. 

One of the most dominant players of the 90s is the top Brave on B/R’s list, rightfully so.

"Starting pitcher Greg Maddux cracks the top 10, and his 109 career complete games have been the subject of stats named after him," wrote Reuter. "A 'Maddux' describes a start in which a pitcher tosses a complete-game shutout on fewer than 100 pitches. Named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, the term was coined by baseball writer Jason Lukehart.

“He ranks in the top 20 all-time in starts (740, fourth), wins (355, eighth), strikeouts (3,371, 11th), innings pitched (5,008.1, 13th), and pitcher WAR (116.7, third), trailing only Roger Clemens (133.7) and Walter Johnson (131.5) on the WAR leaderboard."

The ‘Mad Dog’ rounds out Bleacher Reports' rankings for the Braves in the modern era. Are these players in the right rankings? It’s hard to decide due to the subjective nature of these lists, but one thing is for certain—the Atlanta Braves have had their fair share of top talent since the late 90s, and ultimately, this shows how great and well-run an organization they are in all of professional sports.

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CJ Errickson
CJ ERRICKSON

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