Braves Best 1st Round Draft Picks Not Named Chipper Jones or Dale Murphy
We take a look at the best first-round draft picks for the Atlanta Braves that aren’t named Chipper Jones or Dale Murphy.
When you think of the best top overall draft picks in Major League Baseball history, not just in Atlanta Braves history, the first name that comes to mind for a lot of people is Chipper Jones.
The Braves third baseman was first-ballot Hall of Fame player.
For most Braves’ fans, the next name you think of when thinking about the best first-round picks in the team’s history is someone who should also be in the Hall of Fame in Dale Murphy.
Chipper, picked first overall, finished his career with a total of 85.3 WAR (according to Baseball-Reference), while Murph — a fifth overall pick — finished with 46.5 WAR.
But who is the next best first-round pick for the Braves?
It becomes a little murkier after those two obvious choices, and the next best one is probably someone who didn’t even play for Atlanta in Adam Wainwright.
The trade no Braves fan likes to talk about, Wainwright is still pitching after being taken 29th overall in 2000 and he’s accumulated 40.5 WAR in his career.
Next is someone you might not expect in Jason Heyward. Mostly because of his elite defense, he’s racked up 36.9 WAR in his career after the Braves took him 14th overall in 2007.
Maybe the next best first-round pick for the Braves that actually spent the majority of their career in Atlanta is Bob Horner.
The first overall pick from the 1978 MLB Draft, Horner accumulated 21.9 WAR over 19 big league seasons.
Up next are three pitchers who had a lot of potential and ended up with good but not great careers — although one is still pitching.
Mike Minor, a seventh overall pick in 2009, has 17.7 WAR in his career and is still pitching for the Texas Rangers.
Atlanta took Steve Avery third overall in 1988 and he helped them start their run in the 90s. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career and finished with just 13.8 WAR.
Kent Merker was taken fifth overall in 1986 and also helped the Braves win their first World Series title in Atlanta. But over 18 years he only accumulated 12 WAR.
Next. MLB and MLBPA continue to bicker. dark
In over 50 years of the MLB Draft the Braves have taken just one Hall of Fame player in the first round (should be two). Here’s to hoping 2020 brings another one.