6 Braves players that most helped shape the history of baseball

2. George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth

When we think of Babe Ruth, we think of a prolific home run hitter in a Yankee uniform who hit a long ball to a specified destination after pointing to it.

Ruth started his career with the Boston Red Sox during the Dead Ball Era. It was a great time for pitchers and a very bad time for hitters as the rules and conditions made it hard for batters to thrive. While Babe Ruth is one of the most lauded hitters of all time, his somewhat brief career on the mound remains underrated. Before his career as a slugger took off, Ruth won an ERA title.

In 1918, his career as a slugger soared from the gate, quickly becoming the top home run hitter in the game. His legend grew exponentially after the Dead Ball Era ended and the Red Sox sold him to the Yankees incurring the “Curse of the Bambino.”

In the last year of his career, the Sultan of Swat headed back to Beantown, this time with the Boston Braves. That year, his uneventful 1935 season ended after playing only 28 games.

Though his Braves’ tenure was a bit of a letdown, The Great Bambino led baseball in several categories throughout most of his career.

He retired with 714 home runs, a .342 batting average, an ERA of 2.28 (most of his innings pitched were during the Dead Ball Era), and an MLB-leading 182.6 WAR value. His WAR not only tops the MLB, but he still holds the record for OPS, OPS+, and SLG. His career .474 OBP is second all-time just behind Ted Williams on the leaderboards. He hit 40+ home runs 11 times topping out at 60. He finished 15 seasons with a .300+ batting average (with a qualifying number of plate appearances) peaking at .393. Over that span, his average eclipsed .370 six times. Strangely, Ruth only won MVP once.

With several different rules that limited and gave home runs, we don’t exactly know what Ruth’s home run total would have been today had the rules been the same or even whether the actual total would come out to more or less than 714. But having spent six seasons (some not full seasons) of his 22-year career in the Dead Ball Era, one can certainly appreciate the Bambino’s legendary power to have reached such a staggering total.

3. Chipper Jones

When it comes to the modern era of baseball, there aren’t many non-PED users who performed like Chipper Jones. Throughout his 19-year career, Chipper hit for an average of over .300 ten times reaching as high as .364. He posted 6 seasons of 30+ home run totals topping out at 45.

Jones, a lifetime Brave, retired with 468 home runs, a .303 batting average, and a WAR value of 85.3. He won the 1999 MVP award, two Silver Sluggers, a batting title, and was selected to eight All-Star games. After returning from a lost year due to injury, he was runner-up to Rookie of the Year in 1995, but more importantly an integral part of the Braves’ postseason team that won the World Series that year.

His .930 career OPS, among other stats, puts him in elite company among his contemporaries (40th overall, tied with Alex Rodriguez and Harry Heilmann). Only 14 players who last batted from 2000 to now (only one current player: Mike Trout) maintain a higher OPS than Jones, several of which used PEDs during their careers. These accomplishments made him a rare talent for his time and one of the best switch-hitters of all time.

4. Greg Maddux

Phenomenal pitchers like Warren Spahn and Gaylord Perry may have lower career ERAs than Greg Maddux, but the Mad Dog did a few things neither of the other distinguished aces accomplished in their careers.

Maddux started his 23-year career in 1986 with the Chicago Cubs. From 1992 to 1995, Maddux won four straight Cy Youngs (one with the Cubs, three with the Braves) in dominant and workhorse fashion. Over those four years, he led the MLB in innings pitched three times and the NL all four seasons. His ERA for three of those seasons, all with the Braves, topped the MLB.

Throughout his career, Maddux posted nine seasons of ERA numbers below 3.00 (not including one at exactly 3.00), two of which were below 2.00, throwing 1.56 and 1.63 in back-to-back years.

Maddux retired with a 3.16 ERA and a 106.6 WAR value. In addition to his four Cy Youngs, Maddux won four ERA titles, an MLB-best 18 Gold Gloves, and was selected to eight All-Star games. He led both the NL and the MLB in several different stats throughout his career. He also helped the Braves to their World Series victory in 1995.

5. Rogers Hornsby

Like Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby was only a Brave for one season. Hornsby, in his 23 major league seasons, established himself as one of the best hitters in baseball history.

Hornsby began his career in the Dead Ball Era. His talent with the bat earned him a spot among the top hitters of that era, but his career didn’t truly propel him into the history books until the Live Ball Era started in 1920. He then led the sport in most stats every year for several years.

In his career, Hornsby eclipsed a .300 batting average 14 times (with a qualifying amount of plate appearances), astoundingly topping .400 three times with a high of .424. His home run totals are less impressive, but still very admirable. Hornsby topped 30 home runs three times, hitting 39 twice and topping out at 42. In two of those instances, he led baseball in home runs.

Hornsby retired with 301 home runs, a .358 batting average, and a WAR of 127. He hit for the Triple Crown twice, won two MVPs, and seven batting titles. His career batting average is the fourth highest all-time.

6. Cy Young

Cy Young, without a doubt, has left an immense impact on the game as evidenced by the award that bears his name. His performance on the mound stands as the gold standard in pitching.

Young began his 22-year career in 1890 and retired just after the start of the Dead Ball Era in 1911. He posted 13 seasons of ERAs below 3.00, six of which were below 2.00 reaching as low as a minute 1.26 ERA in 1908. Throughout his career, he led pitchers in several stats numerous times.

Today, 113 years after his retirement, Cy Young still holds the records for wins, losses, starts, complete games, innings pitched, hits allowed, earned runs, and batters faced. Young retired with a 2.63 ERA and a 163.6 WAR value. He pitched for the Triple Crown once and garnered two ERA titles.

Cy Young’s Braves’ tenure was short, only pitching 11 games for the Boston Braves in the final year of his career after being released by the Cleveland Naps during the season.

Honorable mentions: George Sisler, Hoyt Wilhelm, Old Hoss Radbourn

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