The 6 best Atlanta Braves who were never recognized as All-Stars

There have been a lot of good Braves over the years. While many have had great seasons rewarded with an All-Star appearance, there have been several Braves to play good baseball with the Braves and never make a Midsummer Classic.

But these six players not only never got a selection with the Braves, they never got a selection in the major leagues.

Best Braves position players to never make an All-Star Game

1. Andrelton Simmons

For four seasons, the Atlanta Braves had one of the best defensive players to ever take the field.

A second-round pick in 2010, Andrelton Simmons skyrocketed through the minor leagues, hitting well but defending even better. After the Tyler Pastornicky experiment failed, the Braves called up Simmons in May of 2012 and the rookie immediately wowed fans with his glove.

Simmons didn't hit quite as well as he did in the minors, as he slashed .256/.304/.362 with the Braves but put up 15.9 bWAR in less than four seasons. Despite getting multiple Gold Gloves and MVP votes in 2013, he didn't win the hearts of All-Star voters.

Despite continuing his great defense after being traded to the Angels and hitting at a slightly above-average rate, voters still never gave Simba his due.

2. Yunel Escobar

Yunel Escobar's tenure with the Braves was turbulent. On one hand, he was reportedly a difficult teammate. When he was traded in 2010, the clubhouse gave his replacement a standing ovation.

On the other hand, he was incredibly talented. In his first three seasons with the Braves, Escobar put up 9.1 fWAR. In that time, only Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, José Reyes, and Troy Tulowitzki put up a higher WAR at SS in the NL.

Escobar hit 15% above league average and also played excellent defense at a premium position. Escobar only got two shots with the Braves at an All-Star selection, but he was certainly one of the better Braves without an appearance.

3. Jeff Francoeur

For about 60 days in 2005, Braves fans truly believed Jeff Francoeur was the second coming of Babe Ruth. In the first month of his career, Frenchy slashed .403/.410/.810, good for a 222 wRC+. The RF hit eight homers, scored 20 runs, and knocked in 21.

Unfortunately, pitchers quickly learned that Francoeur had no plate discipline and they could throw the ball wherever they wanted and Frenchy would swing. In 2005, The Natural, as Sports Illustrated called him, had eight non-intentional walks.

He was never able to replicate his rookie-year success, but he was an RBI merchant. He had more than 100 RBIs in both 2006 and 2007, despite being below league average in 2006, and just slightly above league average in 2007.

Frenchy's best shot at an All-Star appearance came in 2007. While his advanced stats look less than impressive now, fans and players weren't looking up wRC+ in 2007. In 2007, fans would've seen a player who was hitting .289 with 58 RBIs and good defense (at least what fans considered at the time).

Instead, Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltrán, Ken Griffey Jr., Matt Holliday, Carlos Lee, Alfonso Soriano, and Aaron Rowand got the OF selections.

While Frenchy's playing career didn't turn out the way fans hoped, he's turned into an All-Star-level broadcaster.

4. Tommy Hanson

In another world, Tommy Hanson is entering his 14th season in the majors, having had a decade of excellence from the month.

For the first three seasons, Hanson looked destined for stardom. In his first three seasons, he collected a cumulative 7.3 fWAR in 460.1 innings. He had a 3.28 ERA and won 32 games.

After a subpar 2012, however, the Braves traded him to the Angels for Jordon Walden, and after a poor 2013, Hanson threw his last pitch in the majors at just 27 years old. He tragically passed away in 2015.

Despite having solid overall seasons, his success never aligned with the Midsummer classic. He came up too late in the 2009 season to get All-Star Recognition, and his 2010 was fueled by a second half where he had a 2.51 ERA, despite the Braves only giving him a win in two of those games.