Atlanta Braves fans have had the fortune of watching a lot of likable players over the years. From stars like Chipper Jones, Freddie Freeman, and Ronald Acuña Jr, to some of the lovable bench players like Guillermo Heredia and Charlie Culberson. Unfortunately, the Braves have also had a few unlikable players.
Some Braves players have been disliked for their performance, but some of these players have done much more to land them on this list of the most hated Braves players since 2003.
The most hated Braves players in the last 20 years
6. Yunel Escobar
Escobar was an incredibly talented SS when he first got called up. During his first three seasons in the bigs, he was an above-average offensive and defensive player. However, in his final season with the Braves, things unraveled quickly.
Escobar clashed with teammates, the coaching staff, the front office, and probably even the official scorers. This public clash, of course, didn't sit well with fans either.
When Escobar was traded in the summer of 2010, the player who he was traded for, Alex Gonzalez, received a standing ovation in the clubhouse.
When Alex Gonzalez walked into the Atlanta clubhouse for the first time, the Braves' players gave him a standing ovation.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 16, 2010
From a production standpoint, the Braves would've been better off keeping Escobar over Gonzalez, as Escobar contributed 5.8 fWAR with the Blue Jays, while Gonzalez only contributed 1.0 fWAR, but the organization didn't seem to care much.
5. Marcell Ozuna
If you had told a Braves fan in 2020 that Marcell Ozuna would be on a most-hated list in 2023, they'd be shocked. Not only was he having the season of his life, he had invented multiple celebrations in the Braves clubhouse, including the mix-it-up celebration.
Marcell Ozuna have a series!!! GONE! pic.twitter.com/a7t6b1JMWF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 16, 2020
If you had told a Braves fan where Ozuna ranked on this list before the season began, they'd ask you why he wasn't higher. Since his first season with the Braves, the DH has been arrested twice, once for domestic violence and once for a DUI, and has been a liability on the field and at the plate.
At least until the beginning of May. After struggling to begin the year and receiving some of the loudest boos at home a Braves player will ever get in Atlanta, Ozuna started to turn things around at the plate. Since May 1, Ozuna has slashed .294/.364/.545, good for a 142 wRC+.
He's also been credited by both Matt Olson and Michael Harris II as someone who helped get them out of slumps.
He's still disliked by the majority of Braves country, but he has definitely got himself out of the top spot of this list by being a team player.