6 Atlanta Braves teammate pairings fans may have forgotten about
You know these players played for the Braves, but did you know they played together?
The Atlanta Braves are lucky enough to have batches of standout players in each generation. Usually, we don't think of these players overlapping, but sometimes, the newer generation just happens to cross paths with the older generation. Other times, the older generation returns after years of playing for other teams.
In this article, we'll look at six pairs of players you didn't realize played together.
6 Atlanta Braves teammate pairings fans may have forgotten about
1. Spencer Strider and Freddie Freeman (2021)
At the very end of the 2021 season, the Braves called up Spencer Strider. Strider had blown through the minor leagues and the Braves were looking at the flame-thrower as an option for the 2021 playoffs.
The righty appeared in two games against the Mets, pitching 2.1 innings. In his MLB debut, Austin Riley manned first base, which meant that the 1.1 innings Strider pitched two days later on the final day of the season was the only time Strider and the former face of the franchise, Freddie Freeman, ever shared the field.
The Braves opted to not include Strider on any of the postseason rosters during the World Series run, and Freddie Freeman opted to trust his agent instead of Chipper Jones.
The next season, Strider transformed into an ace and signed a long-term extension to keep him in a Braves uniform until at least 2029.
Here's one of the two clips online where Spencer Strider and Freddie Freeman are in the same frame in the same uniform.
2. Brian McCann and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019)
Brian McCann was best known for breaking through on the Baby Braves in 2005, helping the team win its 14th straight division title, and developing into the best player of the group.
Ronald Acuña broke through on a Baby Braves team in 2018, helping the team win its first division title in five years and developing into the best player of the group.
In 2018, one would think of Brian McCann in a group of Braves that shared a roster with Chipper Jones. But, in 2019, B-Mac came home (or the Fun Police, as some call him), and played 85 games for Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr, meanwhile, went out and improved on his 2018 Rookie of the Year campaign.
Enjoy this amazing highlight of Ronnie absolutely nailing the cooler shower after Brian McCann hit a 2-out walk-off.
3. Brian McCann and Charlie Morton (2008)
While Brian McCann overlapped with Ronald Acuña during the catcher's first stint, he overlapped with Charlie Morton while the now-40-year-old starter was just breaking into the bigs.
Morton pitched in 16 games (15 starts) during his rookie season, and B-Mac was behind the plate for all but four of those games.
Morton didn't make the team out of Spring Training in 2009 and was traded for Nate McLouth that June, ending Morton and McCann's time as Braves teammates.
However, it wasn't the last time with the pair as teammates. On November 16, 2017, Morton signed a two-year deal with the Houston Astros that likely changed the trajectory of his career.
The next day, the Astros acquired Brian McCann from the Astros. 11-and-a-half months later, the Houston Astros celebrated their first World Series championship (which was totally not controversial) with Morton on the mound and McCann behind the plate for the final pitch.
4. Charlie Morton and Tom Glavine
On June 12, 2008, the Braves placed Tom Glavine on the DL with a strained elbow. They called up a rookie named Charlie Morton two days later and the 24-year-old made his debut against the Angels.
Glavine wouldn't return to the active roster until August 14, when he made his last start against the Cubs. He would immediately go back on the DL and miss the remainder of the season.
Morton struggled throughout the 2008 season but was on the active roster when Glavine returned, which means the two just happened to overlap on the active roster for, at most, a few days.
5. Jeff Francoeur and Dansby Swanson
This was another shockingly short intersection for two notable Braves who wore #7.
In 2016, Jeff Francoeur returned to the Braves in what would end up being his final season in the bigs. He played decently enough for a Braves team that wasn't very good that a Marlins team in playoff contention decided to acquire the OF on August 24.
A week earlier, the Braves had decided to call up Dansby Swanson, their top prospect, to the big league club, which means the two were teammates for exactly a week.
Here's the only clip I could find of the two together in a game, as Swanson scored on a Nick Markakis double and Francoeur greeted him as he went to the on-deck circle.
Hilariously, neither player wore #7 that season. Gordon Beckham had taken the number before Francoeur signed that offseason and was still on the team when Dansby Swanson debuted.
6. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Peter Moylan (2018)
Peter Moylan played a lot of seasons for the Braves, making his debut in 2006 and playing for the club until 2012. Because of this, it's easier to associate him with players like Chipper Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Tim Hudson, Brian McCann, and even John Smoltz.
However, Moylan had three different stints with the Braves. After playing for the Dodgers in 2013, he returned to the club in 2015 after missing 2014. Then, after a two-year stint with the Royals, Moylan again joined the Braves.
Moylan didn't have the healthiest of seasons, having a month-long IL stint in June and then missing the entirety of August and September, but it did give him just enough time to play with a rookie phenom named Ronald Acuña Jr.
Bonus trio: Freddie Freeman, Kelly Johnson, and Jeff Francoeur
Of the 2005 Baby Braves, it's easiest to connect Brian McCann as a teammate of Freddie Freeman's. After some thought, most fans will remember the numerous times the Braves traded Kelly Johnson to the Mets during the mid-2010s and connect him with Freddie Freeman.
And of course, most Braves fans will remember that Francoeur returned to the Braves in 2016 with Freddie Freeman anchoring the club. But connecting all three on the same team feels out of place.
Anyway, here's Frenchy's first homer back with the Braves, which scored Freeman and had Johnson waiting to greet him at the plate.
More Braves News from House That Hank Built
manual