Atlanta Braves history: Top 10 outfielders part 2

Number seven – Justice served

The Atlanta Braves selected David Justice in the fourth round of the 1985 June draft and moved through the minors at a pace typical of the time.  After a cup of coffee in 1989, he arrived in Atlanta to stay in May of 1990, splitting time between first base and right field.

The 1990 season saw Justice appear in 127 games, bat .282/.373/.535/.908,with a 143 OPS+ and 28 homers, good for a .400 wOBA, 145 wRC+, and 3.3 fWAR. He ran away with NL Rookie of the Year voting landing a 98% share to win the award. Justice also finished #24 in NL MVP voting

He started 1991 in the unenviable position of replacing an Atlanta Braves fan favorite Dale Murphy. After struggling in April, Justice turned it around quickly, with a scalding May that included five homers and a 1.079 OPS.

On June 19, the Braves’ right fielder was batting  .304/.389/.530/.919, with 11 home runs and a league-leading 61 RBI, but a back injury pushed him to the DL on June 26. Justice returned on August 20 and picked up where he left off, smacking ten more homers, and driving in 36 runs.

Justice finished twelfth in MVP voting as the Braves headed to their first World Series since 1958. After going 5-25 with a homer against the Pirates, he had a 7-25 World Series with two homers as the Braves lost to the Twins.

The 1992 season began with Justice playing only eight games in April, and returning to league play while still trying to find his stroke in May.  When the calendar turned to June, his bat woke up; from June through October 4, he batted .279/.385/.494/.970, hit 31 homers and drove in 61 runs.

Justice returned healthy for the 1993 season, hammered 40 homers, drove in 120 runs and posted a .571 OPS, and earning his first All-Star game nod. He finished third in NL MVP voting behind Barry Bonds and Lenny Dykstra and won his first Silver Slugger award, but had a forgettable postseason.