ATLANTA — Andruw Jones launched himself to the baseball world as a smiling teenager with a robust swing, and he established himself as one of many best defensive gamers in baseball historical past. He was proudly elected to Baseball’s Corridor of Fame on Jan. 20, 2026.
Here’s a have a look at the highest 10 moments in Jones’ profession:
Jones made his MLB debut on Aug. 15, 1996, and he legitimized his presence simply two months later, when he homered in his first two plate appearances in Recreation 1 of the World Collection. {The teenager} from Curaçao created historical past along with his two-run homer off the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte within the second inning. At 19 years and 180 days previous, he turned the youngest participant to homer in a World Collection. Practically 30 years later, he nonetheless stands as the one teenager to hit a house run within the Fall Traditional. His three-run homer off Brian Boehringer within the third linked him with A’s catcher Gene Tenace as the one gamers to homer of their first two profession World Collection plate appearances.
Jones highlighted his career-best 51-homer season with an eighth-inning residence run he hit in a loss to the Phillies on Sept. 14, 2005. The solo shot made him the primary Braves participant to hit 50-plus residence runs in a season. He would maintain this distinction till Matt Olson set a brand new franchise document with 54 homers in ‘23.
That is precisely what Tom Glavine mouthed after Jones ended a 2-0 win over the Expos with an unbelievable diving catch on Might 22, 2002. The good middle fielder was barely within the image earlier than he swooped in like Superman and preserved considered one of Glavine’s 25 profession shutouts. Glavine’s dad and mom may be seen excitedly reacting to the catch on the finish of this clip.
Jones’ most acknowledged defensive gem continues to be widely known because the Spider-Man catch. He actually shocked legendary broadcaster Skip Caray when he obtained to the center-field wall, leapt and secured each ft within the padding as he made an over-the shoulder catch of Invoice Spiers’ fly ball on Aug. 9, 1999, in opposition to the Astros. A shocked Caray stated, “Off the wall … he made the catch. What a play!”
Jones had seven profession walk-off homers, however none of them was extra memorable than the Eleventh-inning walk-off stroll he drew in opposition to the Mets’ Kenny Rogers in Recreation 6 of the 1999 Nationwide League Championship Collection. The Braves’ outfielder labored the rely full earlier than seeing Rogers’ pitch sail excessive and vast of the zone. The stroll despatched Atlanta to its fifth World Collection of the Nineteen Nineties.
6. Avoiding a right away 0-for-5
Jones had additional motive to really feel good when he prevented an 0-for-5 MLB debut within the ninth inning of an Aug. 15, 1996, recreation in Philadelphia. He was held hitless by his first 4 plate appearances by Curt Schilling. However the younger phenom tallied his first profession hit with an RBI single he slapped to left area in opposition to Toby Borland.
Throughout Jones’ second huge league recreation, legendary Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren was telling a narrative to the TV viewers about Jones being on a Minor League bus journey when he needed to shortly cease his story as a result of the younger outfielder had simply hit his first profession homer. Upon seeing the homer in opposition to the Pirates’ Denny Neagle, one other beloved Braves broadcaster Don Sutton stated, “The one buses he’s going to be using to any extent further are from the lodge to the ballpark.”
Jones tallied the final milestone homer of his profession whereas taking part in for the White Sox on July 11, 2010. His third-inning three-run shot off the Royals’ Anthony Lerew was the four-hundredth of his profession.
Jones homered within the 2003 All-Star Recreation and once more within the ‘05 Midsummer Traditional. The primary of those memorable blasts was a seventh-inning shot in opposition to Mark Mulder. It regarded like Jones may win the sport’s MVP honor earlier than the AL struck for 3 runs in opposition to Eric Gagne within the backside half of the eighth.
Everyone will without end bear in mind Jones’ residence runs to start the 1996 World Collection. However he additionally offered a glimpse of his nice defensive abilities throughout that Fall Traditional. He actually gained Tim Raines’ respect when he went again to the right-center-field wall to catch a Bernie Williams fly ball earlier than making a robust throw that doubled Raines off at first base. Try what number of Corridor of Famers are on this clip.
