5 Greatest Braves Outfielders of All Time

Acuña's legacy in Atlanta is still in development, though he started with a bang by winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 at age 20.

He had an all-time great season in 2023 where he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases, becoming the first MLB player to do so in a single season, and won MVP honors handily.

It's also worth noting that Acuña's 2021 season could have been even better had he not gone down with a torn ACL 82 games into the season; he had hit 24 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 72 runs in that span.

Still, the international free agent out of Venezuela is already an all-time great in Atlanta, and his legacy is still being built despite being sidelined by a seemingly endless spree of injuries.

3. Dale Murphy (1976-1993)

Murphy was the face of the franchise in the 1980s and one of the main authors of the Braves' turnaround. Following his move to the outfield in 1980, the Braves finished 81-80 and left the cellar of the division for the first time in five years.

Murphy's career took off shortly after, and he took home back-to-back MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, seasons marked by elite RBI numbers and slugging percentage. As a struggling first baseman, Murphy's turnaround in the field upon moving to the outfield was stark, and Murphy won five consecutive Gold Gloves beginning in 1982.

To show how valuable Murphy was, the Braves struggled in the 1982 playoffs as he, too, struggled at the plate. His time in Atlanta preceded the 1990s super teams, and that would be his only playoff appearance, but that doesn't negate his legacy.

2. Andruw Jones (1996-2007)

Known as the "Human Highlight Reel," Jones was widely considered the best defensive outfielder in MLB history, winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998 to 2007 and redefining the center field position with his athleticism, vertical leap, and patience.

Despite debuting at just 19 years old, Jones connected for two home runs in his first two at-bats of the 1996 World Series, breaking Mickey Mantle's record as the youngest MLB player to homer in a World Series game.

Jones' 2000 season was his first truly elite offensive season, hitting 36 home runs and 104 RBIs to go along with a .303 batting average, and hit 34 home runs the year after. His banner year, however, was 2005, when he hit a MLB-leading 51 home runs and would have finished first in MVP voting had it not been for prime Albert Pujols.

1. Hank Aaron (1954-1974)

Aaron has a legitimate case to be the best player in MLB history, and his accolades speak for themselves. Twenty of Aaron's 23 Hall of Fame seasons were spent with the Braves, including weathering their move from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. Over the course of a banner career, "Hammerin' Hank" hit 733 of his 755 career home runs with the franchise.

To this day, Aaron holds the MLB record for RBIs (2,297), total bases (6,856), and extra base hits (1,477). His 25 All-Star nods in 23 seasons defy logic, but MLB at one point played two All-Star games in a season from 1959 to 1962, and worked overtime to accommodate and honor his greatness.

Before Bonds came around, Aaron broke and held Babe Ruth's previously unbreakable home run record of 714 home runs across a career. As he neared the record in 1974, Aaron handled such history and accomplishment with grace and maturity, even while being besieged with hatred due to racial tension in the South.

Aaron is undoubtedly the best player to step into the outfield for the Braves.