Five players who played for both the Braves and the Dodgers
Ahead of a four-game series with potential postseason implications, we take a look at the somewhat intertwined history of the Braves, Dodgers, and the players who have donned both uniforms.
Freddie Freeman (ATL 2010-2021, LAD 2022-Present)
I mean, of course we're going to talk about him first.
A second-round pick in 2007, Freddie Freeman quickly rose through the Braves farm before debuting in 2010 at 20-years old. All he did after that is hit almost .300 over an 11 season stretch, almost 300 home runs, 1700 hits, three Silver Sluggers, an MVP, and left the franchise with a World Series ring.
Since joining the Dodgers, Freddie hasn't missed a step, putting up more than 11 WAR, hitting his 300th career HR, and 30 stolen bases (I did a double take at this too, don't worry).
His continued greatness is making the Hall of Fame question easier to answer. One day, the harder question might be about the hat that's on his plaque in Cooperstown.
Matt Kemp (LAD 2006-2014, ATL 2016-2017)
By the time the shortened 2020 season came to an end, Matt Kemp had put together a pretty solid career. A two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner, a three-time All-Star more than 1000 career RBIs. He found a lot of that success with the pre-juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers, falling short of an MVP in 2011 to Ryan Braun.
After a stint with the Padres, Kemp arrived in Atlanta in August of 2016 in a trade that saw Héctor Olivera and cash go back to San Diego. He introduced himself to Braves Country with an article in The Player's Tribune, detailing his childhood as a Braves fans growing up in Oklahoma.
In 171 games with Atlanta, he hit 31 home runs and more than 100 RBIs, providing a serviceable bat and stopgap for the talent that was down in the Braves farm at that time. He would get traded back to the Dodgers prior to the 2018 season for some notable pieces that were apart of that NL East winning team, including Charlie Culberson and Brandon McCarthy.
Kemp would return to Atlanta with the Dodgers for the 2018 NLDS, going 1-4 in the two games he appeared in for LA. He and the Dodgers would make it to the World Series before losing to the Red Sox in five games.
Andruw Jones (ATL 1996-2007, LAD 2008)
After winning what would be his final Gold Glove in 2007, one of the best defensive outfielders of all-time didn't have a team to call his own after being released by Atlanta.
The Braves made the difficult decision to not bring back Andruw Jones following after what was one of his worst offensive seasons of his career, hitting .222 that year. He signed a two-year, $36 million a few months later, hoping to extend what was already a strong career.
Jones then showed up to 2008 Spring Training overweight, and his offensive regression continued throughout the season, hitting .158. He would miss time with a knee injury, was later benched, and then put on the 60-day disabled list to end his short tenure with the Dodgers.
He would bounce around between the Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees to end his MLB career, before playing two seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. Jones was a part of the 2013 Rakuten Eagles that won the Japan Series.
Alex Wood (ATL 2013-2015, LAD 2015-2018, 2020)
While his tenure with both teams was short, Alex Wood's stops in Atlanta and Los Angeles were memorable.
The Braves took the Georgia Bulldog pitcher in the 2nd-round of the 2012 draft. He then raced through the Atlanta minor leagues with incredible speed, appearing in less than 30 games before getting the call-up to big leagues.
He posted a 3.10 ERA and struck out 337 batters in his Braves career before he was traded to the Dodgers in 2015 in a large multi-player, three-team trade that saw the Braves acquire Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, and a competitive balance draft pick that would become Joey Wentz.
Wood would be a mainstay in the Dodgers rotation, including making the All-Star team in 2017 as part of one of the best rotations in baseball. He won a career-high 16 games and ended the year with a sub-3.00 ERA as LA fell in seven games in the World Series to Houston.
After a stint with the Reds, Wood returned to the Dodgers and won the World Series in the 2020 shortned season.
Dusty Baker (ATL 1968-1975, LAD 1976-1983)
Before he was one of the winningest managers in MLB history, Dusty Baker was a well-rounded outfielder who played nearly 20 seasons in Major League Baseball.
He was drafted by Atlanta in 1967, and developed into a solid hitter on the Braves of the early 70's. Baker was a witness to history in 1974, standing on deck as Hank Aaron hit home run number 715 to surpass Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list.
After his trade to the Dodgers prior to the 1976 season, Baker saw a lot of his career accomplishments come while he was in Dodger Blue. He won two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, an NLCS MVP, and a World Series title before retiring and later becoming a manager.
In the sixteen seasons he spent with Atlanta and LA, Baker hit more than 200 home runs, more than 120 stolen bases, and one potential action that changed sports celebration history.
Here's a few other notable names that made stops with the Dodgers and Braves in their major league careers:
-Gary Sheffield
-Rafael Furcal
-Joc Pederson
-J.D. Drew
-Brian Jordan
-Andy Messersmith
-Jason Heyward
-Marquis Grissom
-Fred McGriff
-Otis Nixon
-Greg Maddux
-Shelby Miller
-Peter Moylan
-Jesse Chavez