ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – It took nine tries, but Atlanta Braves legend Andruw Jones received the call every ballplayer yearns for on Tuesday.
Indeed, Jones is officially headed to Cooperstown. Baseball’s highest honor.
The curious case of Jones and baseball’s Hall of Fame has reached its conclusion, as he was elected on his ninth appearance on the ballot— a historic rise from his debut year in 2018, when he received just 7.3% of the vote. That same year, fellow Atlanta icon Chipper Jones was elected on his first ballot.
Since then, that number has risen to 19.4% in ’20, 33.9% in ’21, 41.4% in ’22, 58.1% in ’23, 61.6% in ’24 and 66.2% in ’25. This year, Jones got 78.4%.
Candidates need 75% of the votes cast by eligible members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
THE CASE: Cooperstown bound? Making the case for Andruw Jones’ Hall of Fame candidacy
Jones was signed by the Braves in 1993 out of Curaçao at the age of 16 and made his big-league debut on Aug. 15, 1996. His pop quickly became noticed when he crushed two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series, becoming the youngest player to hit a home run in the World Series at 19 years, 180 days, breaking Mickey Mantle’s record of 20 years, 362 days.
That was only the beginning of his excellence.
Jones went on to average 34 home runs and 100 RBIs over the next 11 seasons with Atlanta, including a whopping 51 home runs and 128 RBIs in 2005 that earned him a second-place finish in NL MVP voting (Albert Pujols).
And while he proved to be a powerhouse with the bat, Jones’ glove is what set him apart from the rest.
Jones earned 10 straight Gold Gloves from 1998-2007, racking up 24.2 defensive WAR over that span. The next closest were Hall of Famers Scott Rolen (15.1) and Ivan Rodriguez (13.5). Jones and five current Hall of Famers — Ichiro Suzuki, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline and Ken Griffey Jr. — are the only outfielders to ever win 10 Gold Glove awards.
By the time Jones played his final major league game in 2012, he had accumulated 434 home runs and 1,289 RBIs, but was coming off a stretch that saw him bat .210 with just 1.7 WAR across five seasons with four different clubs. Jones finished his career with 1,933 hits, and his Hall of Fame induction will mark the first time in more than 50 years that a position player with fewer than 2,000 hits has been elected by the BBWAA.
At a glance: Andruw Rudolf “The Curaçao Kid” Jones
Born on April 23, 1977, in Willemstad, Curaçao. He had a 17-year Major League Baseball career from 1996 to 2012, primarily as a centerfielder.
Career Statistics
Games Played: 2,196At Bats: 7,599Hits: 1,933Home Runs: 434RBIs: 1,289Batting Average: .254OPS: .823Career WAR: 62.7
Awards & Honors
10× Gold Glove Award (1998-2007)5× All-Star (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)1× Silver Slugger (2005)NL Player of the Year (2005)Participated in the 2005 Home Run DerbyWon the Hank Aaron Award (2005)His best season came in 2005, when he:Hit .263 with 51 home runs and 128 RBIs;Compiled a .922 OPS;Led the National League in home runs, and;Earned NL Player of the Year honors.
Teams
Atlanta Braves (1996-2007) – Spent the majority of his career here. His #25 was retired by the team in 2023.Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)Texas Rangers (2009)Chicago White Sox (2010)New York Yankees (2011-2012)
Jones will be joined this summer in Cooperstown by switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltrán, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in his fourth try, and longtime San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Era Committee’s Contemporary Baseball Player ballot in December.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 27 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
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