The Atlanta Braves have been around the block. The team has history that goes all the way back to 1871 when they were the Boston Red Stockings. They eventually changed their names from Red Caps to Beaneaters, Doves, and Rustlers before eventually sticking with the Boston Braves starting in the 1912 season. There are now more than 100 years worth of teams that represented the Braves, both in Boston and eventually in Milwaukee after their relocation in 1953. They finally found a home to keep in 1966, solidifying themselves in Atlanta.
The Braves won championships in all three cities, giving them a pronounced tie to each and every place. It's one of their four World Series championships. They've honestly won one in their four best eras, boasting great teams that included 57 representatives in the Hall of Fame. The Braves are indoctrinated in baseball history.
When looking at its best lineups, it's hard to leave off some of these names. This is a franchise that literally once had Babe Ruth and Cy Young playing for them, and neither made the list of best-possible Braves starting lineup (mostly because they both came later in their respective careers). If those two aren't on the lineup card, who did make it?
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First Base: Freddie Freeman (2010-2021)
It seems crazy that Freddie Freeman spent more than a decade in Atlanta because the time flew by. He entered the league in 2010, but his true rookie year came in 2011. He was great that year, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting to another player in this starting lineup. Freeman had 21 home runs and 76 RBIs in his first season, and it was a sign of things to come.
He was a five-time All-Star with the Braves, and it would have been six if they held one in 2020. In fact, 2020 was his best season despite the shortened year due to the pandemic. He hit 15 home runs in 60 games and had a league-leading 23 doubles and 51 runs. He won the National League MVP for his efforts.
At the end of his Braves run, Freeman finished third all-time in doubles with 367 and sixth in home runs with 271. His power numbers were great for a first baseman, but he was so much more than that to this Braves team. He helped them transition from the 90s juggernaut to what they are today.
One year after winning the MVP, Freeman helped the Braves win their fourth World Series title. He hit .304 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in the postseason. He didn’t win MVP of the World Series like he just did for the Dodgers, but his clutch hitting was noticeable back then. Now, he’s considered one of the top hitters in the league.
Second Base: Marcus Giles (2001-2006)
Admittedly, this is the weak spot of the Atlanta Braves’ lineup, but Marcus Giles at his best was almost surprisingly good. He had this peak that came out of nowhere and was gone before we knew it. In 2003, Giles was one of the best infielders in baseball. According to Baseball Reference’s WAR statistics, Giles was fourth in all of baseball that season with 7.9. He was behind Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Barry Bonds among position players.
He had two other really good seasons, and then he was a replacement-level player for the remainder of his career. The high was high. The lows were quick and painful. Injuries caught up to him quickly. However, with this being a “best-of” list, we’re focusing on the high.
Giles was a great hitter, putting up extra-base hits with relative ease. He didn’t get the most home runs during this era, but he was constantly getting ahead on the basepaths. He had a Braves record for doubles in 2003. Add that to the rest of that great Braves lineup, and he was phenomenal. The aggregate might not be good enough for a legendary lineup like this, but 2003 Giles would match just about any other second base season.
Some would want a more recent name in Ozzie Albies, but Giles’s 2003 season is better than any one season Albies has had in Atlanta. Giles in 2003 made him a star, but concussions stole so much from him.
Third Base: Eddie Mathews (1952-1966)
Eddie Mathews is one of the most important players in the history of the Braves franchise. Obviously, he had some of the best offensive stats this team has ever seen, but he has an interesting connection to the movement of the franchise. His rookie season was the final season of the Boston Braves before they moved to Milwaukee. Then, he played the entire 13-year run of the Milwaukee Braves before playing his last season with the franchise, which was played in Atlanta in 1966. How many players who are as good as Mathews go through two relocations with a team? It can’t be that many.
Mathews was dominant at the plate, leading the league in home runs twice and making eight straight All-Star Games and nine overall. He was also ahead of his time at the plate, prioritizing base runners for those coming to the plate behind him. He led the National League in walks on four different occasions.
He became just the seventh player in history to break the 500 home run mark, and he did it at a time when it was still hard to get the ball over the fence. He teamed up with Hank Aaron to form one of the greatest one-two punches in the history of baseball.
This was a hard decision at third base, the hardest of this entire list, but Mathews isn’t just a Braves legend; he’s truly one of the best hitters ever. He remains underappreciated today, but he should be in the conversation with Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and his teammate, Mr. Aaron.
Shortstop: Johnny Logan (1951-1961)
The shortstops of Braves lore aren’t as good as the outfielders or the third basemen, but Johnny Logan was a really good player in his era. The four-time All-Star helped the Braves win the 1957 World Series against the New York Yankees with a huge home run in Game 2. That’s his magic moment in the big leagues, but he had a decade of impact for the Braves.
Logan was a member of those incredible Braves teams that included Aaron, Mathews, and Warren Spahn. He was known for his small stature and pitbull attitude. He didn’t care that he was 5’7, he would fight anyone he felt deserved it. He’d charged the mound and built feuds with opposing players. It was a great distraction so the rest of his lineup could rake.
If you’re not aware of Logan’s story, it’s an inspiring one. His family ran a local grocery store to help his Wisconsin neighborhood, and they didn’t even know about baseball, or any sport for that matter. He was taught baseball by his brother, and it turns out he was an incredible athlete. He went on to play baseball and football, but he chose baseball because of the injury factor.
Logan was a specimen, and that’s why he edges out the likes of Rabbit Maranville or Rafael Furcal at the position. He was also with the Braves the longest, and the fact that he got to play for his hometown team was such an incredible addition to this lineup.
Right Field: Dale Murphy (1976-1990)
Dale Murphy might be the least talked-about two-time MVP in the history of baseball. Not only did he win two, but Murphy won them in back-to-back seasons, taking him the trophy in 1982 and 1983. Only four outfielders in history were voted as the top guy in their league in consecutive years. Even more impressive, the Braves didn’t even make the playoffs in ‘83, so he was so good that he didn’t need that to get the recognition.
And it’s not like Murphy was a flash in the pan. He was great for the Braves during a career that spanned a decade and a half. His accolades include seven All-Star appearances, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers. He led the league in so many categories in the 1980s, that he was always in the MVP vote.
Only Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hit more home runs than Murphy during the ‘80s. That’s also thanks to his incredible ability to stay healthy. He played more than 700 consecutive games at one point, and he rarely missed more than five games in a season. It wasn’t until an ailing knee ruined his twilight years that he started to miss time.
Murphy isn’t the most popular name on this list, but what he was able to do with the team around him shows he earned those MVP awards. He’d do amazing if he had the lineup protection this team is getting. Some might make room for Ronald Acuna here, but we can't do that just yet.
Center Field: Andruw Jones (1996-2007)
Few players make the immediate impact on the game as Andruw Jones did in the mid-90s. The Braves were already chugging along with a dominant team in the National League East, but then here comes this player who could hit like Mickey Mantle and field like Torii Hunter. He was a human highlight reel. Every day, he was doing something that was worthy of leading SportsCenter. Jones was a super-duper star as soon as his rookie year.
His best season came in 2005, where he led the league in both home runs and RBIs with 51 and 128 RBIs, respectively. What was most impressive about that season was how much Atlanta needed Jones. Chipper Jones went down early that season with an injury, and Andrew Jones was necessary to keep the Braves NL East dominance alive. Their rivals were getting better, but this Jones wasn’t letting his team slip.
Somehow, this man isn’t in the Hall of Fame. It’s the great injustice of the voting committee right now. Jones was at the top of the list for great players, and the fact he didn’t get an MVP award during his time in the league also shows how flawed the system is.
Jones might be the league’s best defensive center fielder. It’s a crazy feat, but Jones won a Gold Glove every year from his second full season to his last season with the Braves. The consistency is one thing, but it was pure greatness to see in person.
Left Field: Henry 'Hank' Aaron (1954-1974)
What can anyone say about Hank Aaron that hasn’t already been said? He was the Home Run King for literal decades. His 755 home runs during his career still seem preposterous. Somehow, the fact that he was a 25-time All-Star might be just as impressive. Aaron was dominant in a way that seemed easy. He always did it with a smile on his face. That almost ended up being more intimidating than a snarl.
Baseball could be around for another 500 years, and the stories of Hank Aaron will still be told. He is woven into the fabric of baseball. He was more than just a normal power hitter. He was the living embodiment of what a baseball player should be.
While he did lose his career home run record to Barry Bonds, did you know that to this day, he still leads the sport in runs batted in? Albert Pujols came close, but he couldn’t pass Aaron’s 2,297 career runs batted in.
We touched on some of the eye-popping statistics, but here are a few more to drive our point home: 6,856 career total bases and 1,477 career extra-base hits (both still MLB records), three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time batting champion, 1957 MVP and World Series winner, and he finished his career with more than 3,700 hits. It’s insane to consider, but if you removed every one of Aaron’s home runs from his statistical record, he would still break the 3,000 hit milestone.
Catcher: Javy Lopez (1992-2003)
Javy Lopez was a stud behind the plate. He coincided with the peak of Braves baseball. They had this dominant team that won at a ridiculous clip each season. They felt unstoppable in the 1990s, and Lopez was a big reason the run kept going.
The Braves made him work for it. They would not give him the full-time starting role until the 1996 season. It was unlike the Braves to put a catcher out there who had offense on the mind, but Lopez did enough behind the plate and his offense was undeniable.
The three-time All-Star hit 20 or more home runs four times in Atlanta. In 2003, he went off the charts and hit 43 home runs, hitting his only career Silver Slugger and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
His best moments came in the 1996 NLCS. Against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit .545 while scoring eight runs in the series. He also set the tone for the series, breaking a 2-2 tie in Game 1 with an RBI single. It showed what he could do in those big moments. Lopez might not be as consistent as some of the others on the list, but he was just as dominant in moments.
Designated Hitter: Chipper Jones (1995-2012)
Ironically enough, Chipper Jones never played at a time when the Braves had a full-time designated hitter, but any list of Braves greats is required to list him. The choice between him and Eddie Mathews is impossible. Luckily, we have a DH fallback plan.
Very simply, Chipper Jones is one of the best switch-hitters of all time. The eight-time All-Star spread his greatness throughout his career. He made All-Star teams in the mid-90s as he was a rookie getting through the league, and made his last All-Star Game in 2012. He won his first NL batting crown in 2008, and he was a two-time Silver Slugger (1999 and 2000). That doesn’t even mention when he won the NL MVP in 1999.
Jones was a dominant force at the hot corner. He was a big proponent of the Braves’ constant dominance of the National League East. He kept the tides rising in Atlanta, showing by example that he could be anything the Braves needed offensively. He constantly tweaked his game to keep himself in the conversation with the best hitters of that generation.
En route to that MVP, Jones became the first player ever to hit over .300 while crushing 40+ home runs and doubles, stealing at least 20 bases, drawing 100 or more walks, adding 100 or more RBIs, and scoring a minimum of 100 runs. That’s the epitome of a five-tool hitter. Jones was downright scary at the plate.
Starting Pitcher: Greg Maddux (1993-2003)
Admittedly, starting pitching for the Atlanta Braves might be the hardest position to judge in all of baseball. Think about all of the greats to pitch for the Braves over the years? Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chris Sale have all won the Cy Young for the Braves. Heck, Cy Young literally pitched for the Braves.
From a dominance standpoint, we went with Greg Maddux. He was scary good during his time in Atlanta. Yes, he was a part of this three-headed monster with Glavine and Smoltz, but he stood out. He won the Cy Young award for four straight seasons from 1992 (with the Cubs) through 1995. Imagine a level of dominance where a player wins the award for being the best at his position four times in a row without ever seeing voters’ fatigue take him out.
Maddux finished his career with 355 career wins, the most of any pitcher after the 1940s. On top of his dominance, he was also probably the best fielding pitcher in history. He won 18 Gold Gloves as a pitcher. Where does he put them all?
Maddux finished his Braves career with just under a 69 percent winning percentage. It just feels nutty during the Steroid Era. Baseball was moving towards more offense, but Maddux didn’t care. He got people out, and there were few in history as good at it as him.
Closing Pitcher: Craig Kimbrel (2010-2014)
There is an interesting argument to put John Smoltz here to get two of those great Braves pitchers on the same team, but we can’t ignore the dominance that Craig Kimbrel had as a closer in the 21st century. He is the Braves closing leader with 186, 30 more than Smoltz had in his Braves career.
Kimbrel was on another planet from the start of his career. He pitched just 20 innings in his first season in the bigs, but the signs were there. He was striking everyone out, and he finished the season with a 0.44 ERA. He was even put on the postseason roster, although that didn’t work out well, as Kimbrel took the loss in Game 3 of the NLDS in
Over the next four years, Kimbrel would put on a clinic in the ninth inning. This was as close to Mariano Rivera as we can get in the modern world. This was automatic, and that’s what a fanbase wants out of their closer. From 2012 to 2014, Kimbrel had 40 saves every season. He was untouchable.
Many might be surprised to see how short Kimbrel’s career was with the Braves, but it was a quick spout with dominance before he moved on to different pastures. Kimbrel has since played for seven different franchises, and more might be on the horizon. Kimbrel re-signed with the Braves during the 2025 offseason, but the full-circle moment was not to be, as he was designated for assignment.