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Atlanta Braves: Top 5 Most Clutch Hitters Since 1990

By Seth Carter

PHILADELPHIA - CIRCA 1996: Chipper Jones #10 of the Atlanta Braves signs autographs during the 1996 MLB All-Star Game workout at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jones played for 19 seasons, all with the Atlanta Braves, was a 8-time All-Star, was the 1999 National League MVP and inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. (Photo by SPX/Ron Vesely Photography via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - CIRCA 1996: Chipper Jones #10 of the Atlanta Braves signs autographs during the 1996 MLB All-Star Game workout at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jones played for 19 seasons, all with the Atlanta Braves, was a 8-time All-Star, was the 1999 National League MVP and inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. (Photo by SPX/Ron Vesely Photography via Getty Images) /
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1 Mar 2002: Gary Sheffield #11 of the Atlanta Braves Mandatory Credit: M. David Leeds/ALLSPORT /

Gary Sheffield (2002)

Gary Sheffield came to Atlanta with 315 career homers already in his bat bag. He had already played in parts of 14 seasons with numbers as legendary as his signature bat waggle. His career slash stood at .295/.399/.521. Over 14 seasons his career OPS+ sat at 146.

Sheffield did not disappoint in his two seasons with the Braves. He hit over .300 in each season, posted an on-base percentage over .400 in each season, and slugged .512 and .600 respectively.

While his 2003 season may look better on the back of the baseball card, his 2002 was one of the most clutch regular seasons in Braves history. He excelled in high-leverage situations all season long. In his 56 clutch plate appearances, he mashed a .362/.446/.809 slash.  That’s not a mistake. The .809 is his slugging percentage, not his OPS. His OPS was 1.255 in such situations in 2002.

Adding to the list of impressive achievements in blood-boiling situations, Sheffield struck out in just 5.4% of his PAs and walked at a 12.5% clip.

He finished the season with 25 home runs and six of them came in high-leverage situations. His six clutch homers are good enough to tie him with Chipper Jones (also 2002) for the most in any season since 1990. Just for your notes, Andruw Jones clobbered seven high-leverage homers in 2005.

Alas, Sheffield’s success with fans sitting on the edge of their seats ended with the regular season. The Braves lost to the Giants in the NLDS in five games. Gary hit just .063 in the series with an 0-13 skid at the tail end.

However, this article isn’t about clutch postseason performances, it’s about clutch regular seasons and Sheffield’s insane in the membrane 217 wRC+ in 2002 places him third on the list.

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