Top 5 Atlanta Braves sluggers of all-time
With origins rooted in the 19th century, Atlanta Braves history alone is riddled with tales of true legends that will continually withstand the test of time. Some of the greatest cleats to ever break the dirt have dawned a Rustlers, Bees, or Atlanta Braves uniform. That is, of course, a reference to the 1911 to present-day versions of the longest-tenured team in MLB history. From Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta, here are the top five sluggers in the history of the Atlanta Braves franchise.
5 greatest Atlanta Braves sluggers of all-time
#5 Wally Berger
In his seven full-seasons with the Boston Braves, Berger never hit below .288 and had 4-100+ RBI seasons. Berger would be in the Hall of Fame if his 242 career home runs and .300 batting average weren't hampered by nagging injuries. These shoulder and wrist injuries would end his career prematurely after only 11 seasons. But that doesn't take away the fact that he is still one of the greatest hitters in the Atlanta Braves long-storied franchise.
#4 Eddie Mathews
Eddie Matthews made home runs look easy with his graceful and effortless swing. His 512 career home runs testify on his behalf that home runs came naturally to him. Despite being considered a wild swinger, Matthews still amassed a career .271 average. The duo of Matthews and Hank Aaron still hold the most combined home runs by teammates in MLB history. Second was Ruth and Gehrig. That gives you an idea of the legendary company that occupies the history books of the Boston and Atlanta Braves. Interestingly enough, Matthews is the only player who played as a member of the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves during their years of migration.
#3 George Sisler
Though he only played three and a half seasons with the Boston Braves, George Sisler was a sure-fire Hall of Famer. You might as well throw out his seemingly low 102 career home runs out of your mind right off the bat. Those low numbers are due, in large part, to playing his career in the dead-ball-era where most ballparks measured well over 450-feet to centerfield.
Sisler was a wizard in the box, hitting .400 not once, but twice in a three-year span before missing the entire 1923 season with an infection that gave him double-vision. By his own admission, his sight and hitting were never the same after that upon his return to play in 1924. Even with his eye condition noticeably hampering his numbers, he still managed a .326 average as a member of the Boston Braves.
#2 Chipper Jones
The Atlanta Braves know how to hold on to some of their greatest talents long-term, and Chipper Jones is no different. Chipper was a life-long Brave like our number one on this list (hint, hint) and a one-man ticket sale. He was easily one of the most entertaining players to watch in the game. With a career OBP of .401 you could bet on him getting on base somehow in nearly half of his plate appearances. Not having struck-out more than 99 times in a single season, his meticulous eye at the plate made each pitch as intense as the next. His second-to-none hitter's eye resulted in a .303 career average, alongside 468 career home runs. It's also worth noting that, though he did not win a World Series title, he was as much captain clutch as anybody.
Chipper Jones was CLUTCH! 💯😮 https://t.co/TOPKFgkRiQ
"Chipper Jones was CLUTCH!"-@MlbMeme
In over 400 plate appearances, he generated a .287 lifetime average in the postseason with a .406 and 47RBIs. Though his numbers are that of a first-ballot Hall of Famer, nothing can match number one on this list of greats in Atlanta Braves History.
#1 Hank Aaron
"Hammering Hank" Aaron lands at the number-one slot for numerous reasons. His renown nickname is a perfect exemplification of how the baseball world observed this baseball legend. The public took notice how the ball seemed to jump off his bat like no other. His long-standing record of 755 lifetime home runs evidences Aaron's nearly unmatchable power throughout baseball's existence. It's not just his sheer power, but his even rarer ability to hit for a combination of power and average. With a lifetime average of .305 to accompany his monumental home run total, very few can even be considered in the same realm of Hank Aaron. A single off his bat sounded just as loud as his record-setting 715th.
April 8, 1974: Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth as MLB’s all-time career home run leader. https://t.co/uFZvTm07Ar
"Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth"-TDISportsClips
Factor in the expanded dimensions of almost 400-feet to left-center field in '74, and you'll understand the context of how special this home run truly is. The life-long Brave and Hall of Famer remains the greatest hitter in Braves history and among the best to ever swing the lumber. As one of only six hitters in the 3,000hit/500-HR club, there will, perhaps, never be a player with the most perfect balance of power and average in the history of the game.
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