Atlanta Braves All-Decade Team of the 2010’s

While it wasn’t exactly the 1990s, the Atlanta Braves managed to put out some pretty good teams during the past decade. Let’s take a look at their All-2010s team.

From 2010 to 2019, the Atlanta Braves managed to put together an 843-776 record, including five 90 win seasons, three division titles and five postseason appearances.

It wasn’t all a bed of roses for the Bravos though, having to endure a tough rebuilding process in the middle part of the decade, and extending their unfortunate postseason series losing streak to 18 years.

Some quality players have gone through the Atlanta system over the past 10 years though, so let’s take a closer look at what a Braves “All-Decade” starting lineup would look like, starting with the backstop…

CATCHER:  BRIAN MCCANN

• 2005-2013, 2019
• 236 Home Runs
• 115 OPS+
• 7 All-Star appearances
• 5 Silver Sluggers (All with Braves)

In the long, winding history of the Atlanta Braves franchise, few catchers stand out quite like Brian McCann does.

Originally part of the “Baby Braves” movement in the mid-2000s, B-Mac quickly cemented his standing on the Braves as a contributor on the field, and a leader off of it.  He was let go by the Braves in 2014 and went on to play for the Yankees and Astros (where he won the World Series in 2017, catching the final pitch from former Braves minor league teammate, Charlie Morton).

McCann ultimately returned to the Braves in 2019 to bring some veteran leadership to the team, and after the season he retired.  In the long, winding history of America’s oldest continually running sports franchise, McCann just might be the greatest to field his position in its history.

Atlanta Braves All-2010s Team

FIRST BASE:  FREDDIE FREEMAN

• 2010-CURRENT
• 227 Home Runs
• 137 OPS+
• 4 All-Star selections
• 1 Silver Slugger
• 1 Gold Glove

I mean, it’s not even particularly close, right?  Freddie’s whip-like swing has been a staple in the center of the Atlanta lineup since his rookie year in 2011, and since then he has gone on to produce numbers that rival nearly any other first basemen in the league.

This past season he added his second consecutive defensive player of the year award to go along with his silver slugger award for the 2019 season.  Freeman has done his best to fill the leadership void that Chipper Jones and Brian McCann left when the decade turned over and has handled it well.  He has continued to lead by example both on the field and off, as the Braves begin the next decade with an exciting new core of young players, and looks to finally be a part of a Braves title.

SECOND BASE:  OZZIE ALBIES

• 2017- CURRENT
• 54 Home Runs
• 37 Stolen Bases
• .806 OPS
• 1 All-Star selection
• 1 Silver Slugger

It’s only been two full seasons for the dynamic second baseman, but Ozzie Albies has already left his mark on the Braves.  His intense style of play has endeared him to his teammates, and his thousand-watt smile has made him a fan favorite in Atlanta.

He continues to develop as a hitter, after having a difficult second half of 2018 but came back this season having made adjustments to his game to help compensate, posting a strong second half in 2019.  His defensive skills improved also, posting a .994 fielding percentage, and saving 8 runs defensively per Baseball-Reference.

The switch-hitting dynamo signed a 7 year deal with the Braves last season, so he figures to be a fixture in Atlanta for the foreseeable future, and I can’t think of a single person anywhere who isn’t happy about that.

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.

Atlanta Braves All-2010s Team

LEFT FIELD:  RONALD ACUNA JR.

• 2017- CURRENT
• 67 Home Runs
• 53 Stolen Bases
• 130 OPS+
• 2018 Rookie Of the Year
• 1 All-Star appearance
• 1 Silver Slugger

The next great Atlanta Phenom occupies left field for the All-Decade team.  Acuna has brought a signature flair and talent to the game (although, admittedly the flare can get in the way sometimes) that has invited comparisons to Andruw Jones in his prime, or more recently, Mike Trout.

He came up just short of a 40/40 season in 2019, just his second full season in the show, and while the strikeouts seemed to pile up a bit on him, he’s shown an ability to make adjustments, and one can infer the sky is truly the limit for this talented superstar.

Like his partner in crime Ozzie Albies, Acuna signed a long term extension that will keep him in an Atlanta uniform for a bulk of the coming decade, so fans can look forward to him anchoring the top of the Braves lineup for a long time.

CENTER FIELD:  ENDER INCIARTE

• 2016 – CURRENT
• 29 Home Runs
• 71 Stolen bases
• 3 Gold Glove awards
• 1 All-Star selection

While the stats may not shoot off the page for Ender, the fact is that he has been one of the most consistent center fielders for the Braves in this decade.  His glovework has been outstanding, recording gold gloves every year he’s played at least 100 games with the Braves, and although his bat hasn’t been spectacular, a 95 OPS+ isn’t bad for a defensive-minded player.

He’s already logged more games in center field for the Braves than anyone else this decade, and despite a down year and some injury concerns this past season, he looks primed to start in center again in 2020.

For the Braves, the exciting possibility with Ender is that if he can get just a little more production out of his bat, coupled with his elite defense, there’s a ton of potential for him.

RIGHT FIELD:  JASON HEYWARD

• 2010-2014
• 84 Home Runs
• 63 Stolen Bases
• 71 Defensive Runs Saved
• 1 All-Star appearance
• 2 Gold Glove awards

When Jason Heyward blasted a ball into the right-field seats against Carlos Zambrano in his first Major League at-bat, you had a feeling that good things were on the horizon.  Chip Caray’s triumphant “WELCOME TO THE SHOW” still echoes in the minds of Braves fans to this day.

The kid seemed like the total package.  He could hit, run, and boy could he find his way around an outfield.  As time would go on, it seemed that Heyward was more potential than actual, and he struggled to maintain consistency, especially at the plate.

Heyward was traded to the Cardinals before the 2015 season, but still earns the nod as the Right Fielder of the 2010s in Atlanta, thanks to his slick work in the outfield, speed on the bases, and bursts of greatness at the plate.

Atlanta Braves All-2010s

Team CLOSER:  CRAIG KIMBREL

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• 2010-2014
• NL Leader in saves 4 straight years (2011-2014)
• 14.8 K/9
• 2011 Rookie of the Year
• 4 All-Star appearances

During his time in Atlanta, Craig Kimbrel was arguably the most intimidating pitcher in baseball.  His menacing pre-windup crouch, blazing fastball and wipeout slider were the closest thing to automatic that the game had to offer, and hitters knew it too.

He was such a dominant force that he even garnered MVP votes 3 years in a row, and Cy Young votes four years consecutively, feats that are extremely rare if not historic for relief pitchers.  The highest season ERA he ever posted with the Braves was a minuscule 2.10, and he struck out 476 batters over just 289 innings.

Anyone who had the pleasure of watching Craig pitch remembers his fantastic entrance to home games, where Turner Field would blackout, and the flames would begin creeping across the scoreboard to “Welcome to the Jungle”.  You knew then, the game was effectively over.

Kimbrel was traded to the Padres the eve of opening day in 2014 and has since pitched for the Red Sox, Padres, and Cubs, but for Atlanta Braves fans, there wasn’t a more exciting thing to hear than “RELEASE THE KIMBREL!”