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Top Five Center Fielders in Atlanta Braves History

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Qualifiers: players will be classified under one position even if they played at more than one. They must also have at least two seasons as the team’s primary starter at the position.

Dale Murphy:

Two-time National League MVP Dale Murphy played 15 seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 1976 to 1990. Murphy was one of baseball’s great power-hitters of the 1980s; he led the league in home runs twice, RBI twice, slugging percentage twice, and OPS once. He maintained a .268 average, .351 on-base percentage, .478 slugging percentage, and 125 OPS+ while belting 371 home runs and stealing 160 bases as a Brave. Murphy earned seven All-Star selections and five Gold Gloves while racking up the fifth highest WAR and the fourth most home runs in Braves history.

Andruw Jones:

Five-time All-Star center fielder Andruw Jones broke into the majors with the Braves as a 19-year-old in 1996. After an impressive playoff performance that October, Jones quickly established himself as a great power-hitter and one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. He went to five All-Star Games and earned ten Gold Gloves while batting .263 with a .342 OBP and .497 slugging percentage in Atlanta. He totaled 368 home runs with the Braves, good for fifth in team history. Jones is the franchise leader in defensive WAR and fourth in total WAR with 58.4.

Wally Berger:

Four-time All-Star center fielder Wally Berger played eight outstanding seasons with the then Boston Braves from 1930 to 1937. Berger was one of the elite power hitters of the 1930s, finishing in the top three in home runs six times and leading the league once. He batted .304 with a .362 OBP, .533 slugging percentage, 199 home runs, and 248 doubles over 1,057 games. Berger averaged 28 home runs, 103 RBI, and five WAR per year as a Brave.

Felipe Alou:

Felipe Alou played 841 games for the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta, earning two of his three All-Star selections during his tenure. Alou twice led the NL in hits as a member of the Braves and he hit as many as 31 home runs in a single season. He succeeded in a deadball era, batting .295 with a 120 OPS+ and four WAR per year over six seasons.

Billy Hamilton:

Hall of Famer Billy Hamilton played the last six seasons of his career with the Braves franchise from 1896 to 1901. Hamilton stole 274 bases with the team and 914 in his career, good for third all-time. He registered a .339 batting average, .456 OBP, and 132 OPS+ with the Boston Beaneaters. He led the league in OBP, walks, and steals five times each.

Honorable mentions: Marquis Grissom, Otis Nixon, Dusty Baker, Mack Jones, Bill Bruton, and Sam Jethroe.

Sources:

Atlanta Braves Team History & Encyclopedia, Baseball-Reference.com

FanGraphs.com

More from this contributor:

Atlanta Braves top five left fielders

Atlanta Braves top five shortstops

Atlanta Braves top five third basemen

Atlanta Braves top five second basemen

Atlanta Braves top five first basemen

Related

  • Top Five Left Fielders in Atlanta Braves History
  • Top Five Right Fielders in Atlanta Braves History
  • Top Five Center Fielders in Baltimore Orioles History
  • Top Five Center Fielders in Boston Red Sox History
  • Top Five Center Fielders in Chicago Cubs History
  • Top Five Center Fielders in Chicago White Sox History
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