A Baseball Hall of Fame without Andruw Jones lacks legitimacy

The Baseball Hall of Fame has snubbed Andruw Jones for long enough. The case against him is obvious, as his height atop the game's greats was unrivaled, as was his eventual downfall. However, in an era where his competition found every possible means (even illegal ones) to improve their game, Jones was clean. 2026 is his best chance yet to reach the threshold, as Carlos Beltran is the only other player expected to get the call for Cooperstown.

Jones isn't just a Braves legend. He made his mark on his era, and the stats back him up.

Why hasn't Andruw Jones made the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Jones hasn't received the call for Cooperstown largely because of those he is competing against. As great as Jones was at his peak – and he's a 10-time gold glover and five-time All-Star – his demise also came at a stunning rate. The former Braves star accumulated 60.9 bWAR in his 10 seasons in Atlanta. In the five seasons after, he had just 1.5 bWAR combined. That's a tough hurdle for voters to get over.

Jones came closest to earning a spot in the HOF in 2024, garnering a 61.6 percent vote share (75 percent is needed). Why is it taking so long for him to receive HOF honors and what is his HOF case?

This year might be his final (and best) chance to get elected, as the Cooperstown classes will improve over the next half-decade. Jones also only has two years left on this ballot before it's left up to the various committees the Hall of Fame endorses to comb through its mistakes.

Andruw Jones’ Hall of Fame case

Andruw Jones spent 17 years in the MLB, however, his best years came in the 12 years he spent with the Braves. Over those dozen years, Jones posted home run totals over 30 seven times. He topped 40 twice and broke the club’s single-season record with 51 in 2005, holding the record until Matt Olson hit 54 in 2023. In that 2005 season, Jones led the MLB in homers and topped the NL in RBIs.

His batting average never reached a staggering level, topping out at .303 in 2000. It was the only time his average eclipsed .277. Jones retired after posting a slash line of .254/.337/.486/.823 with 434 home runs and a WAR value of 62.7, winning one Silver Slugger. His career home run total ranks him 48th all-time and would rank him 31st among current HOFers. However, his career batting average would rank him second worst among all HOFers elected as position players (not including managers, executives, or pitchers). That might be what explains the hold-up.

Despite the low average, his JAWS value (combines WAR with 7-year WAR value peaks to determine HOF viability) stands at 46.4, ranking him ninth among all centerfielders all-time. So, why the great JAWS value?

JAWS isn't a perfect indication of how great of a player Jones was, but the fact that his seven-year peak but a full two-WAR better than your average Hall-of-Fame center fielder, and that his JAWS is over two-WAR better than Beltran, is telling. Longevity means a lot in this game, no doubt, but this statistic works in Jones' favor.

What was Andruw Jones' prime like with the Braves?

Jones was one of the best defenders in the game of baseball. His career Rtot (total zone total fielding runs above average) of 254 in the outfield and 230 as a centerfielder are the highest of any centerfielder or outfielder. His overall Rtot value of 253 is second only to Brooks Robinson.

Great fielders don’t usually get the attention that great hitters receive. But in 2001, the Veterans Committee (now the Era Committees) set a precedent. Bill Mazeroski was elected to the Hall of Fame for his stellar defense at second base (highest Rtot value at that position) and possibly for hitting the first walk-off home run in World Series history. Mazeroski retired with eight Gold Gloves.

Andruw Jones was a much better hitter than Mazeroski over his career and won 11 Gold Gloves in center. His performance, both at the plate and in the outfield, had a large role in defining Braves’ baseball for over a decade. If he doesn’t land a spot in the HOF, it would be a great injustice to the game of baseball.