5 greatest outfielders in Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves franchise history
Throughout its history that stretches across Boston, Milwaukee, and now Atlanta, the Braves have had an abundance of outfielders who posted eye-popping numbers.
The franchise has gone through many names throughout the years (Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Braves, Boston Braves, Boston Bees, Boston Rustlers, Boston Doves, Boston Beaneaters, and Boston Red Stockings), but there are some legendary names who have donned the uniform wherever the franchise has called home.
Let’s look at the 5 greatest outfielders in the history of the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
In this list, we will rank the outfielders based on accomplishments, as well as the amount of bWAR they accumulated during their years in a Braves uniform.
Number 5 — Tommy Holmes (36.1 bWAR with Braves)
Kept out of World War II because of a sinus condition, Holmes made his Braves debut on April 14, 1942, and quickly became one of the bastions of the Boston Braves after being sold to the team by the New York Yankees that offseason.
In 1945, he finished second in National League MVP voting to Phil Cavaretta despite leading Major League Baseball with 224 hits and 28 home runs. His .332 batting average that season was just behind Cavaretta’s .335, and part of that success was a then-NL-record 37-game hitting streak.
He was also a difficult out for any pitcher, with his 2.2 percent strikeout rate is among the best to ever suit up.
Holmes saw action in the 1948 World Series for Boston, with his eighth-inning RBI single against Bob Feller proving to be the difference in a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 1.
During a span of 130 games during the 1951 and 1952 seasons, Holmes served as Boston’s manager.
You can read more about his amazing career here.
Number 4 — Wally Berger (36.6 bWAR with Braves)
Babe Ruth may have been the most famous member of the 1935 Boston Braves, but Ruth’s teammate in Boston, Wally Berger, was in the midst of establishing himself as one of the best outfielders in baseball at that time as well.
Wally Berger’s power overshadowed his Braves teammate, Babe Ruth, in his final MLB season.
By the way, in that 1935 season, Berger would hit a team-leading 34 home runs for the Braves. Ruth would come in second on the team with six, playing in just 28 contests that season, including his final one on May 30, going 0-for-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Berger suited up for eight seasons with Boston and was an All-Star in four of those campaigns (1933-36). He hit 38 home runs in his rookie season of 1930, a rookie record that would stand (along with Frank Robinson’s total in 1956) until Aaron Judge hit 52 homers in 2017.
The slugger would hit 199 home runs in his Boston career (including 105 at Braves Field, the most for any player at that stadium) and would earn distinction as not only earning a spot in the first-ever All-Star Game in 1933, but also playing all nine innings, batting sixth and playing center field.
You can read more about Berger’s career here.
Number 3 — Dale Murphy (47.3 bWAR with Braves)
Drafted by the Braves with the fifth overall pick in the 1974 draft, Dale Murphy became an Atlanta legend who was among the best of his time at the plate and in the field.
Dale Murphy earned honors with the Atlanta Braves while rarely missing a game
A back-to-back National League MVP winner in 1982 and 1983, Murphy was also a seven-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and earned a Silver Slugger four times. He also played in 159 or more games six straight seasons, including 162 games in four consecutive years (1982-1985).
During his 18-year career that also included stops with the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies, Murphy saw the postseason just one time, that coming in 1982 when the Braves won the NL West and met the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Murphy went 3-for-11 in the series, but St. Louis swept the Braves.
A big part of Atlanta’s success that season came off the bat of Murphy, who hit 36 home runs and drove in an NL-leading 109 runs. He would top that mark the next season, once again logging 36 homers but driving in 121 while posting an NL-best .933 OPS.
Murphy would hit 36 or more homers in four straight seasons between 1982-85 and would display his power in the 1984 All-Star Game, smacking a solo shot to extend the NL’s lead at Candlestick Park.
Number 2 — Andruw Jones (61.0 bWAR with the Braves)
It didn’t take long for Andruw Jones to make his mark on the Atlanta Braves, slashing .400/.500/.750 with a pair of home runs as part of his rookie season in the 1996 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Jones, by the way, was 19 years old.
Andruw Jones impacted the Atlanta Braves with his Gold Glove defense
He would be a part of 75 postseason games with Atlanta, helping the franchise reach the Fall Classic on two different occasions. A five-time All-Star, Jones quickly earned a reputation with his premier defense in center field, earning 10 Gold Gloves and entering the discussion as the best center fielder to ever play the game.
Jones would finish second in the NL MVP voting in 2005 after hitting an MLB-leading 51 home runs and driving in a National League-high 128 runs.
He is currently in his fifth year on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and could well see his son, Druw, taken with the top overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
Number 1 — Hank Aaron (142.6 bWAR with Braves)
Was there really any doubt who would be at the top of this list? There is no one more associated with the Milwaukee and Atlanta franchises than the man who hit 733 home runs while wearing a Braves jersey.
Hank Aaron made an impact on not only his own franchise, but Major League Baseball and society as well
Aaron made 25 consecutive All-Star Game appearances and finished in the top five of NL MVP voting on eight occasions (including winning the award in 1957 after leading MLB with 44 home runs and 132 RBI). Aaron hit 40 or more home runs in eight different seasons and 30 or more homers in 15 campaigns.
He moved with the Braves from Milwaukee to Atlanta before the 1966 season, and quickly introduced himself to the “new” home fans by leading the NL with 44 home runs and pacing all of MLB with 127 RBI.
dark. Next. The Hall of Fame case for Andruw Jones
After retiring from the game following the 1976 season, Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (1982). In his honor, MLB has established the Hank Aaron Award, given each season to one AL and NL player in recognition of the best overall offensive performance in each league.