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Atlanta Braves All-Decade Team of the 2010’s

By Adam MacKinnon

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: The Atlanta Braves logo is painted on the field at Champion stadium during a spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets on March 23, 2019 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: The Atlanta Braves logo is painted on the field at Champion stadium during a spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets on March 23, 2019 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves All-2010s Team

SHORTSTOP:  ANDRELTON SIMMONS

  • 2012-2015
  • 113 Defensive Runs Saved
  • 15.3 dWAR (per Baseball-Reference)
  • 2 Gold Gloves

Ah yes, Simba.  The man so dangerous with the glove, he could go 0-everything at the plate and he would STILL help you win the game.

Andrelton Simmons was originally drafted as a closer thanks to an electric arm, but coaches quickly figured out that he had an amazing ability to read the ball off hitters bats, and had incredible footwork in the field.

He was quickly promoted from Double-A to the Majors, and shortly after claimed the starting shortstop spot for his own.  He quickly became a fan favorite, despite his lacking much ability to hit consistently (he had a career .666 OPS with the Braves).

Simmons would make incredible plays look routine, and his “baseball IQ” was off the charts, finding outs where there didn’t seem to be any.  I would pick a favorite play, but there’s just too many.  No chance I’m not giving this post to Simba.

THIRD BASE:  CHIPPER JONES

  • 1993-2012
  • 468 Home Runs
  • 141 OPS+
  • 1st Ballot Hall of Famer
  • 1 MVP
  • 8 All-Star appearances
  • 2 Silver Sluggers
  • 1 batting title

I mean, c’mon.  It’s Chipper Jones, arguably the most complete switch hitter in the history of friggin baseball, and definitively one of the three greatest Braves position players in franchise history (I’m not counting Babe Ruth, don’t @ me).

The 2010s saw Chipper on the tail end of his career, but he played, so therefore he counts.  Those seasons that he did play, though?  42 Home runs over 333 Games, a .818 OPS, and he stole 8 bases too.

Chipper was the last of the players from the glorious ’90s to retire and was a symbol to many fans of the franchise’s strongest times.  He cruised into the Hall of Fame with 97% of the vote on his first ballot, and will forever be known as the definitive Brave of this generation.

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