Braves Could Have HOF Inductee Same Year as All-Star Game

The Atlanta Braves’ festivities for hosting the 2025 All-Star Game are in full swing. But there could be an addition to the festivities if the Baseball Writers Association of America makes the right call.

MLB has announced a number of notable Hall of Fame candidates for next year, including Braves legend and All-Star Andruw Jones.

Jones has been on the ballot for a few years now. But he’s been gaining popularity, and it could make for the perfect time for him and the city he called home for more than a decade of his career to celebrate together.

The Electric Atlanta Years

Expectations were high when Jones arrived in Atlanta nearly 30 years ago. It took just a few key moments to raise them even higher.

“One of the most hyped prospects ever, Jones raised the bar even higher when he hit two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series as a 19-year-old rookie,” said MLB columnist for Bleacher Report wrote Joel Reuter.

Jones developed into one of the best outfielders to ever play, winning 10 Gold Gloves during his time with the Braves.

In 12 seasons with the Braves, Jones had a .263 batting average with an .839 OPS with 368 home runs and 1,117 RBI.

If he had kept those numbers up for the rest of his career, he probably would have been in Cooperstown by now. The years after his Braves tenure, however, took him off track.

“That less-than-stellar end to his career ultimately soured his overall legacy and kept him from achieving the undoubted Hall of Fame numbers he seemed destined for in his 20s, but he still ranks as one of the best two-way center fielders to ever play the game,” Reuter added.

In his five years with the Dodgers, White Sox, Rangers and Yankees, Jones batted .210 and averaged just 13 home runs per year.

The recent past can certainly have an impact on the prospects of an entire career.

Jones finished his career with a .254 batting average, 1,289 RBI, 434 home runs, 67 WAR and a 111 OPS+.

Four players in baseball history have 10 Gold Gloves and 400+ home runs. Jones, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey Jr. The three unnamed Andruw Jones were first-ballot Hall of Famers.

A short distance from the hall

Just looking at his first year on the ballot, it’s obvious how much those last few years hurt his chances. He got 7.3% of the vote. Remember, a player needs 5% to stay on the ballot, so it was a close call. But slowly but surely, the memory of his best years started to give him a big boost.

2018: 7.3%
2019: 7.5%
2020: 19.4%
2021: 33.9%
2022: 41.4%
2023: 58.1%
2024: 61.6%

He now has 61.6% of the required 75% of the vote. It would take a jump in votes, but he has had it before. Just look at the increase from 2022 to 2023.

So yeah, it’s a bit of a windfall. But the idea of ​​being able to celebrate alongside the festivities of the All-Star Game is so close to becoming a reality.

The results of the 2025 Hall of Fame voting will be announced in January. The hypothetical celebration of Jones’ induction would take place on July 15 at the All-Star Game in Atlanta, with an induction a few weeks later in Cooperstown on July 27.