10 Underrated Atlanta Braves Players Since 2000
Take a trip down memory lane and take a look at a few Atlanta Braves players who may not have gotten as much love as they should have.
The Atlanta Braves have a rich and storied history. The names of the stars roll off the tips of our tongues. John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones... It's easy to forget some of the fantastic players to don the classic uniform over the year. So, I compiled a list of 10 underrated players to hit you right in the memories. This isn't the 10 MOST underrated players or anything. I don't have that kind of time or authority.
Here are 10 players I think are underrated for their time with the Braves. Could have been a season, or could have been their entire tenure. For whatever reason, here are 10 players and why I think they deserve some credit for their efforts in Atlanta, since the year 2000 and in no particular order.
10. Nick Markakis
The Atlanta Braves won 96 games and the division in 2013. They had an injury-ravaged season in 2014 which led to a fire sale. As a part of the "rebuild" period they signed Nick Markakis to a four-year deal. It was Markakis and Freeman, that was about it. Markakis was a consummate professional in his time with the Braves. He ended up staying for a couple of extra years.
During his six-year tenure, he hit .283 and got on base at a .357 clip. While with the Braves, his walk rate of 10.2% was higher than those players like Jose Ramirez and J.D. Martinez. In 2018, he hit .297 with 43 doubles and a Gold Glove. He also earned his lone All-Star selection that season.
Markakis made it through the tough times and stuck around to see some success. Check out our tribute to Nick Markakis here.
9. J.D. Drew
When Braves fans think about J.D. Drew we tend to gravitate toward the fact that we gave the Cardinals Adam Wainwright in exchange for him. Wainwright was a highly touted prospect and the Braves didn't end up winning a World Series in 2004. Naturally, we look back and think about how we lost that trade. However, J.D. Drew had a heck of a season for the Braves in 2004.
RELATED: Revisiting the J.D. Drew/Adam Wainwright trade
Drew slashed a phenomenal .305/.436/.569 with 28 doubles, eight triples, and 31 homers. He drove in 93 runs and scored 118 times while also walking 118 times. J.D. Drew's 2004 is the 27th greatest offensive rWAR season in franchise history.
8. Paul Maholm
Paul Maholm might be a little harder to recognize as an underrated player if you only look at the surface stats. Maholm came to the Braves at the trade deadline in 2012 and posted a 3.54 ERA in the second half.
He started the 2013 season with three consecutive scoreless outings, two of which were seven innings or more. Over the first three months of the season, Maholm went 9-6 with a 3.69 ERA. Maholm was part of a killer rotation that included Tim Hudson, Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran.
The Braves won 96 games and a division title that season. Maholm's solid first half was a big factor. He began battling injuries in July and made just seven starts in the second half of the year.
7. Andres Galarraga
After leading the National League in RBI in 1997, the Rockies released Andres Galarraga into the free-agent market. He signed with the Braves and picked up where he left off in Colorado. At age 37, he hit .305 with 44 homers and 121 RBI. It was his third straight 40-homer season. Over those three seasons, he racked up an astounding 411 RBI, leading the league in RBI in 1996 and 1997. He even threw in 40 steals during that time!
But this is supposed to be about underrated players from 2000 and on! Well, I'm getting there. In the spring of 1999, Galarraga's back was very sore. He couldn't shake the pain and eventually, doctors discovered a cancerous tumor.
He spent the entire 1999 season fighting and defeating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He returned in 2000, just in time to make this list. Andres was even selected to the 2000 All-Star game and received tons of fanfare in front of Braves fans at Turner Field.
RELATED: Revisiting the 2000 MLB All-Star Game at Turner Field
In 2000, Andres Galarraga won the Comeback Player of the Year. The "Big Cat" slashed .302/.369/.526 with 28 homers and yet another 100-RBI season, in just 141 games. Galarraga was one of the great power hitters of the late-90s and Braves fans were lucky enough to enjoy a couple of seasons of long bombs from the Big Cat.
6. John Burkett
John Burkett won 22 games for the Giants in 1993 and made the only All-Star team of his first 12 seasons. He was a very solid starting pitcher over his 15-year career, posting a 4.31 ERA over 2648.1 innings pitched. He made his way to the Braves at age 35 in 2000. He made his second All-Star team at age 36 in 2001 with Atlanta.
In 2001, Burkett went 12-12 with a 3.04 ERA. In the steroid era, a 3.04 ERA was good for a 147 ERA+. What makes Burkett's performance in 2001 so impressive is the fact that he made 34 starts and covered 219.1 innings.
3. Julio Franco
Like many others on this list, Julio Franco joined the Braves at an advanced age. Franco is the oldest. He didn't come to Atlanta until the age of 42 season. If you watched in the early 2000s, then you know Franco was a fan favorite. He was more of a role player but he played enough to make an impact. The fact that he had such a quality bat well into his 40s is incredible.
Franco played in parts of 23 major league seasons. His career slash lines match up with his six seasons in Atlanta REALLY well. Keep in mind, his time in Atlanta covered ages 42-46 with a short stint at age 48. Those are some Hulk Hogan numbers there.
As a Brave, Franco batted .291 with a .363 on-base percentage. His .424 slugging percentage was even a little better than his career .417 SLG.
2. Edgar Renteria
Edgar Renteria made a name for himself with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over 16 seasons, he batted .286 with a .343 on-base percentage. He stole 294 bases and had 436 doubles. He was a four-time All-Star and one of those selections came as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2006. Renteria's time with the Braves wasn't long but it was impactful.
As a Brave, he hit .310 with a .374 OBP. He had the best slugging run of his career in an Atlanta uniform. In 273, games Renteria mashed 70 doubles and 26 homers, giving him a .451 slugging percentage and an .825 OPS.
1. Tim Hudson (The Hitter)
Tim Hudson was a great pitcher and he is in no way underrated for that. However, he was a great hitter in college for Auburn. In his senior season, Huddy went 15-2 with a 2.97 ERA. He set strikeout records for the school and proved he was one of the greatest collegiate pitchers to grace Auburn's field. On top of that, he led the team in hitting with a .396 average, 18 homers, and a school record with 95 RBIs. Some of those skills returned to him when he hit .263 for the Braves in 2007.
Also Read: 5 Most Disappointing Braves Since All-Star Break