Fansided

6 best bromances between Atlanta Braves teammates since 2005

Which pair of teammates stick out to you when you think of historic Braves bromances?

By Chase Owens |
Chicago White Sox v Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox v Atlanta Braves / Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
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Love is in the air as is often the case on Valentine's Day. Because of this, we thought what better time to put together a fun post about some of the most loving relationships we've witnessed between Atlanta Braves teammates over the years. Here are six of our favorite bromances since 2005.

Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr.

How could you not start with these two? As things go among current Braves, there are a few pairings you could choose from to include on this list. And for good reason, these two have pretty much been joined at the hip since Ronald debuted in 2018.

There's not many players Albies can give the "younger brother" treatment to, but since he is older than Ronald by almost a year, Ozzie loves to give Ronald a hard time. With both these guys signed for years to come, we hope they continue to provide the thunder at the top of the lineup they have already showcased early on in their careers.

Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward

I know, how dare I include two current Dodgers on this list. Regardless of who they play for now, Freeman and Heyward's relationship is simply one of baseball's best. As youngsters they graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and were thought to be future cornerstones in Atlanta.

They put together back to back runner-up finishes in NL Rookie of the Year voting (Heyward in 2010 and Freeman in 2011). Then they were teammates no longer, as Heyward was dealt and Freeman was kept during the Braves rebuild. They would remain close friends even as they weren't teammates. But as fate would have it, last season they both found themselves sporting Dodger blue...gross.

Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann

Most friendships have their fair share of unforgettable moments. But how many friends can say they were selected in back to back rounds by the same team they grew up rooting for? This was the case for the beloved pair of Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann, who were the first and second round pick by the Braves in the 2002 MLB Draft.

These two were part of the young exciting 2005 baby Braves that helped capture a record 14th straight division title. They would continue to put together special moments with Atlanta, even after one was past is playing days; As you can see in the video below, with Francoeur's hilarious call of B-Mac's first home run of 2019. Nowadays, Frenchy and B-Mac battle it out on the golf course according to Jeff.

Orlando Arcia and Guillermo Heredia

Not often do you see two non-superstars get their bromance publicized like we did with Arcia and Heredia. It often felt like these guys were trying to one-up each other in who could bring the most wild energy to Atlanta's clubhouse. The mission was always accomplished, as Arcia and Heredia kept things light-hearted at all times.

Sadly, we didn't get more than a couple seasons of this bromance on the Braves, as Heredia left to play baseball in the KBO last year. To Arcia's credit though, he has kept the energy high since our pink-sword wielding hero left. We really could've paired Arcia with numerous current teammates for this, but his relationship with Heredia left too big an impact for us to disregard.

Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson

Toward the end of the last rebuild in Atlanta, the front office began to dream of a future middle of the infield combination that was getting time together in the farm system. Dansby and Ozzie were a double play tandem long before they both arrived to Atlanta.

Once they did, the pair left no doubt as to who should man the middle of the infield for the now contending Braves. This was about as organic as a bromance as you could imagine. Competing together at each level, both with an insane drive to win. Ultimately, Atlanta would be rewarded for their faith in the middle infielders, as in 2021 both helped deliver the Braves their first World Series title since 1995.

Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman

Unlike most of these bromances we have previously mentioned, this one isn't between a pair of teammates that rose through the minors together. Chipper Jones had already posted a Hall of Fame worthy career by the time Freddie Freeman got to the majors in 2010.

However, despite their three short years together on the field, the pair formed an amazing student-teacher relationship that would benefit the Braves for years to come. Chipper's hitting intelligence has proven beneficial to numerous Braves throughout the years, but his early work with Freeman may have set him up with a Hall of Fame resume of his own.

The cherry on top of this relationship was the moment of Chipper's heroism. When Freddie Freeman was left stranded in the snow, it was his former mentor and a long retired Chipper Jones who came to the rescue. Chipper was able to get Freeman home safely as they rode back together on Chipper's camouflage ATV. This iconic moment was taken a step further in 2016, with an amazing bobblehead giveaway to pay tribute.

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