FINALLY: Atlanta Braves Legend Andruw Jones INDUCTED Into Hall of Fame

Atlanta Braves fans celebrate as Andruw Jones is finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame after a dramatic 12% voting surge, sparking debate over why it took nine years for the game’s best defensive center fielder to get his due. Are historical biases and the character clause still holding back deserving candidates? Jake Mastroianni explores Jones’s dominant decade, iconic Gold Glove streak, and impact on Hall of Fame voting trends while previewing future Braves legends like Freddie Freeman, Dale Murphy, and Ronald Acuña Jr.

Payroll strategy takes center stage with Mastroianni breaking down Atlanta’s luxury tax situation and weighing offseason moves—should Alex Anthopoulos target Chris Bassitt, pursue a Nico Hoerner trade, or upgrade with Freddy Peralta? Plus, fresh takes on the Jorge Mateo signing, bullpen depth, and the Braves’ best path to fortify their roster for another championship run. How would you spend Atlanta’s remaining $15–20 million?

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-braves/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

#Braves #AtlantaBraves #mlb

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Turbo Tax
For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life.
Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is officially in Playoff Mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Visit Fanduel.com to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

0:00 – Andruw Jones Hall of Fame
10:45 – Hall of Fame Voting Insights
18:31 – Braves Payroll Breakdown

29 comments

  7. I love Jake’s optimism.

    We all know this is the team AA is taking to OD. He just is never going to push the chips in all the way. He hasn’t had a real SS 2022 and he takes the one year no commitment option with a soft bat and that guy is gonna miss half the season an AA replaced him with a fringe cut candidate. Just is what it is

    HSK will miss half the season come back and never really get going before the end of the season. Last year we were out of it by then and now the biggest off season addition is cooked.

  12. @LockedonBraves

    Jake, you're right about the Baseball of Fame, in terms of pure baseball stats vs. non-baseball stuff.

    If that was the case, a lot of sports writers mention players like Ty Cobb, who was notorious with a lot of stuff like being a racist, playing dirty, etc., etc., should be removed from the Hall or not be voted into the Hall in the 1st place.

    Even some PED users slipped through the door like Rickey Henderson, Big Pappi, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and now Carlos Beltran. (I might have forgotten more names on the list.)

    Voters, especially when confused on who to vote for, look for guidance and parameters of who gets in and who should be excluded, based on who's already in the Hall.

    It used to be tough to get in, but they lowered the bar like pitchers who didn't win 300 games still passed the 75% threshold.

    Re: Andruw Jones, apart from his off field issues, which are horrendous, still had question marks with his baseball stats.

    I and other sports writers (including Lindsay or at least he mentioned rumors) believe Andruw Jones used PEDs, based on an unusual spike in his HR totals for 2 seasons, the PED-related injuries and side effects, the sudden drop off of production, and apart from Maddux, a lot of Boras's clients were caught using PEDs.

    Boras, not only has a law degree but also has a PhD in Pharmacolgy. Scott knows how drugs interact with the body, and abused his clients, all for the objective of obtaining more $$$.

    Andruw is typically a 30+ HR guy, but his 50+ and 40+ HRs were unusal blips, like Brady Anderson, Ken Caminiti, etc.

    Look at Andruw's injury history (PED associated injuries) and his physical side effects eg. big head, body water retention, etc. etc., there is no doubt that Andruw used PEDs.

    A player CANNOT hide PED associated stats, physical side effects, and related injuries.

    Remember Javy Lopez? Usually a 20+ HR guy, but hit 43? HRs in his walk year.

    Similar scenario for Andruw.

    Based on multifactorial reasons, does Andruw deserve to be a HOF?

    …Well it's too late to re-do the vote, but maybe Andruw should bend over so that an asterisks can be drawn on his PED-side effect bald head, like a Mont Blanc logo. Beltran, the PED Trashstro should wait in line too.

    Do the voters always get the voting correct? No, and that's certainly the case this year.

    Hank Aaron was a great player, the definition of a gentleman, and a great ambassador for the Braves and baseball.

    Andruw wouldn't even be able to walk in Hank's shadow.

  13. Case against Beltran for the HOF: using individual baseball production stats:

    Apart from the Trashstros scandal, who was Carlos Beltran as a baseball player?

    Beltran was a good baseball player, who rose from the Royals' farm system, producing .280 – .300 BA, 20 HR, 180 – 200 H annually.

    If he kept this production rate for 22 big league seasons, he probably would have ended up somewhere around .280 – .300 career BA, 400 HR, and 3,000+ H.

    Definitely would have been, at least, a 1st ballot HOF.

    However… the year the Royals traded Beltran to the Stros, his TOTAL HRs for that season was around 40 HR!

    Where did all that sudden power surge come from?

    At the same time, his head started getting unusually big too, and he lost his hair as well (all PED side effects: huge head = HGH, alopecia = anabolic steroids)

    Reminds you of anyone? like Andruw Jones and Barry Lamar Bonds?

    Beltran continued hitting something like 40 HRs annually, when he signed with the Mets.

    His agent was also…. Scott.

    Both Andruw and Carlos entered the league skinny.

    Andruw was a better player of the 2, power and defense wise, whereas Beltran had better plate discipline and a better BA.

    Both undeserving of the HOF status.

    This year, the voters got it wrong.

  14. I have long wanted to stop following baseball. I think I'm finally there. the structure is so absurd it made no sense this was a legit league with how the cap works. hahahahha. We're talking about Ha Song Kim replacements and evaluating whether super nothing, zero needle moving player dubon is the answer. Wonder if you guys heard, but the team with every superstar just signed kyle tucker. ohtani's playing for free. and a bunch of others. why are we still here pretending like we're in the same league playing on the same field? oh yeah… sorry…"hey! we might pay that first tax threshold !!" f baseball

  15. Congratulations Andruw Jones! I think he deserves it. The best center fielder I have ever seen and this includes Willie Mays who I saw on TV occasionally. Andruw always seemed to get a good jump on the ball and was fast. As far as the options go, I like #1 or #4. Then #3 or some combination of these choices. Mix and match so to say. As far as misbehavior off the field goes, if it is for domestic abuse then the players should be suspended from playing games during that season. On the issue of steroids, steroid use is a form of cheating and cheating should not be rewarded. I would like to see Dale Murphy get in the hall also. Maybe Javy López. Go Braves! Chop on.

  16. If character were a requirement, players like Ty Cobb wouldn’t be in. You could use the excuse that he was a man of his time but that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the most overt racists and a dirty player.

  21. I think/hope we're adding a SP and I think it will be a trade…maybe Peralta..other options out there as well. With the many ?'s with some hitters I don't think it's likely we'll out hit the Phillies or Mets but we can certainly out pitch both with more depth(and health). Gotta count on a couple arms going down at some point and we need another proven arm.

  23. Andrew Jones played on the Braves during the TBS era during the 1990s-early 2000s. It is amazing how many Braves players including manager Bobby Cox & now a part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame despite winning only one World Series Championship in 1995. Many people probably have great memories of watching the Braves on TBS in the 1990s.

  24. I mean, I know I'll be late to the party saying it, but it's about damn time!

    His offensive numbers alone are borderline, but for a 10 year stretch he was the best defensive outfielder of all time. Absolute no brainer HOF'er!

  27. I can understand not wanting to lose the 26th pick for signing a QO pitcher like Valdez. Moving down 10 spots seems far less of an issue for going into the 3rd tier and adding a starter like Bassitt and one more platoon bat with Kim and Murphy out for a bit.
    So glad Andruw made it. Childhood feels complete.

Leave a Reply