Atlanta Braves: first game results of some notable top prospects

Andruw Jones

Once Chipper finally gave up his stranglehold on the #1 chair among Braves’ prospects, Andruw grabbed the throne for 1996-97… after being #2 in 1995.

Everybody remembers what he did in the World Series against the Yankees in 1996, but what happened before that?

Andruw’s initial major league foray came on August 15th, 1996 at Philadelphia.  In that game he was 1 for 5 with an RBI.  He struck out twice, but also scored after that hit as part of an 8-5 victory for the Bravos.

He would finish 1996 with a .217 average after 113 PA’s, recording 5 homers in the process.

Jermaine Dye

Dye was the 3rd-ranked Braves prospect in 1996 behind Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt.  Hit .281 for Atlanta in 1996 –  his only season with the major league club.

On May 17, 1996, Dye broke in against Cincinnati with a 1 for 2 game… hitting a homer in his first AB as the Braves won 8-2 in Atlanta behind Greg Maddux.

Rafael Furcal

Raffy became the Braves’ #1 prospect in 2000 and broke in early:  April 4th, 2000.  He played the whole year and hit .295 over 542 PA’s.

That first game was against the Rockies – a contest that saw him go 2 for 4, though it began with a strikeout in the 3rd inning.  He would later add 2 singles with both a steal and a caught stealing in a 5-3 Braves loss.