Andruw Jones

3.1. Atlanta Braves (1996-2007)

Jones made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves on August 15, 1996, at just 19 years old. In his first career MLB game, he went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. In his second game, he went 2-for-5 with a home run and a triple. He recorded his first multi-homer game on August 22 against the Cincinnati Reds. During his initial period in the majors, he played right field due to the presence of established center fielder Marquis Grissom. He finished the 1996 season batting .217 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Jones was selected to the Braves' postseason roster in 1996 and batted .222 with a home run and three RBIs in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

In Game 1 of the 1996 World Series on October 20, 1996, Jones showcased his talents by hitting two home runs to left field in his first two at-bats as the Braves defeated the New York Yankees 12-1. At 19 years and 180 days old, he became the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the World Series, breaking Mickey Mantle's record. He also joined Gene Tenace as only the second player in history to hit home runs in his first two World Series at-bats.

In 1997, Jones became the Braves' everyday right fielder, finishing his rookie season with a .231 batting average, 18 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases, placing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. In 1998, he transitioned to center field almost full-time and had a significantly improved season, hitting his 30th home run on September 13. He also earned his first of ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards. That year, he achieved the distinction of being the youngest player in MLB history to record a "20-20" season (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases). Despite a relaxed playing style that once drew the ire of manager Bobby Cox, Jones finished the season batting .271 with 31 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases.

In 1999, Jones played in all 162 games. In 2000, he had a breakout offensive season, achieving career highs in batting average (.303), home runs (36), and RBIs (104), earning his first All-Star selection. He also led the National League in plate appearances (729) and at bats (656), and became the second player in Braves history, after Hank Aaron, to achieve three consecutive "20-20" seasons. In February 2001, Jones won his salary arbitration case, securing an $8.2 million salary for the 2001 season, which was the highest ever awarded in arbitration at the time, surpassing Mariano Rivera's $7.25 million. After the 2001 season, he signed a six-year, 75.00 M USD contract extension.

In 2001, Jones's batting average declined to .251, and his strikeouts increased to 142, despite hitting 34 home runs and 104 RBIs. By this time, he had gained nearly 30 lb ^{(30 lb)} since his debut, which significantly diminished his speed on the basepaths, as he would not steal more than 11 bases after 2001. He maintained strong power numbers in 2002, hitting 35 home runs and 94 RBIs, and was named to his second All-Star team. On September 7, 2002, he belted two home runs in his last two at-bats, followed by two more in his first two at-bats on September 10, becoming the 11th player in MLB history to homer in four consecutive at-bats. On September 25, he hit three home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming the first Braves player to do so since Jeff Blauser in 1992. In 2003, playing alongside power hitter Gary Sheffield, Jones achieved a new career high with 116 RBIs and made his third All-Star appearance. However, in 2004, his performance saw a dip, with fewer than 30 home runs and 147 strikeouts, leading to him being the subject of trade rumors.

Prior to the 2005 season, Jones intensified his workout regimen and adopted a wider batting stance based on advice from Willie Mays. This resulted in his most productive offensive season. After teammate Chipper Jones suffered an early injury, Andruw carried the Braves, leading the National League with 27 home runs by the All-Star break. He was named to his fourth All-Star team. On August 23, he hit his 40th home run of the season, a career first, and on September 14, he hit his 300th career home run, a 430 ft blast off Phillies reliever Geoff Geary at Citizens Bank Park. He became the first hitter since Alex Rodriguez (57) and Jim Thome (52) to hit at least 50 home runs in a season, and the 12th player in history to reach 300 home runs before his 30th birthday. Jones finished the 2005 season leading the major leagues with 51 home runs, surpassing Hank Aaron's and Eddie Mathews' single-season club record of 47, and winning the Babe Ruth Home Run Award. He also led the National League with a career-high 128 RBIs. His strong performance helped the Braves secure their 14th consecutive division championship. He finished second to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NL MVP voting. In the 2005 National League Divisional Series, Jones batted .471 with a home run and five RBIs, though the Braves lost the series to the Houston Astros.

Before the 2006 season, Jones played for the Netherlands national baseball team in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic. He started the 2006 MLB season strong, hitting a home run off Derek Lowe on Opening Day and finishing April with a .281 average, eight home runs, and 23 RBIs, a result of his early adjustment for the WBC. From April 16 to April 19, he homered in four consecutive games. On July 18, he matched his career high with six RBIs against the Cardinals, going 5-for-5 with two home homes. On August 29, he recorded his 1,000th career RBI in a game against the San Francisco Giants. On September 26, he hit his 40th home run, becoming the first player in Atlanta Braves history to have consecutive seasons with at least 40 home runs. He finished the 2006 season with 41 home runs and 129 RBIs. He also improved his plate discipline, drawing 82 walks (compared to 64 the previous season), which contributed to his 107 runs scored, his most since 2000. He won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove Award.

In 2007, the final year of his contract with the Braves, Jones had an unexpectedly poor start, batting in the low .200s for much of April and May and striking out 51 times in 41 games. On April 30, he hit a three-run walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 28, he hit his 350th career home run off Chris Capuano. Despite continued power numbers after the All-Star break, his batting average remained low. He was honored with a Fielding Bible Award as the best fielding center fielder in MLB. Jones concluded the 2007 season with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs, but his batting average dropped to a career-low .222, and he struck out 138 times. On October 2, the Braves announced they would not re-sign Jones for the 2008 season.

3.2. Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)

On December 5, 2007, Jones signed a two-year, 36.20 M USD deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, his tenure with the Dodgers was marked by struggles; he arrived at spring training out of shape and over 20 lb ^{(20 lb)} overweight, and his batting average remained below .200 for most of the season. He managed only 10 hits in 116 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Due to his lack of production, he was dropped to eighth in the Dodgers' batting order, a position he hadn't occupied since 1998.

Jones was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career on May 25, 2008, after undergoing knee surgery for an injury sustained during batting practice. On July 27, Dodgers manager Joe Torre benched Jones, stating he would only be used as a spot starter moving forward. At that point, Jones had a .166 batting average, two home runs, and 12 RBIs, with 68 strikeouts in 187 at-bats. On September 13, he was placed on the 60-day disabled list and removed from the playoff roster, ending his season. Jones finished the 2008 season with a .158 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBIs. He expressed his unwillingness to return to the Dodgers in 2009, feeling that the Los Angeles fans had not given him a fair chance. During the 2009 offseason, the Dodgers agreed to release or trade him before spring training in exchange for deferring some of his remaining salary. On January 15, 2009, Jones was officially released by the Dodgers.

3.3. Texas Rangers (2009)

On February 8, 2009, Jones signed a one-year minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, which would pay him 500.00 K USD if he made the major league team, with an additional 1.00 M USD in incentives. He reportedly turned down a similar offer from the New York Yankees to compete for their center field job, expressing interest in staying with the Rangers even if it meant a backup role. He ultimately earned the Rangers' final roster spot.

Initially intended to be a pinch-hitter, Jones found a starting outfield role due to an injury to Josh Hamilton. In his Rangers debut, he went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. By the end of April, he was batting .344 with three home runs and six RBIs. On June 13 and 14, he played against his former team, the Dodgers, hitting a home run in each game. On July 4, he went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs against the Tampa Bay Rays. On July 8, in a game against the Angels, Jones hit three home runs and drove in four runs in an 8-1 victory, marking his second career three-homer game. He finished the season batting .214 but recorded 17 home runs in 82 games. While primarily a designated hitter, he played 17 games in the outfield and also experienced playing first base for the first time in his MLB career.

3.4. Chicago White Sox (2010)

On November 25, 2009, Jones signed a 500.00 K USD deal with the Chicago White Sox for the 2010 season, with up to an additional 1.00 M USD in performance bonuses. Unlike previous seasons, Jones arrived at camp in excellent physical condition, weighing 30 lb ^{(30 lb)} less than before. On April 23, 2010, his 33rd birthday, he hit two home runs, including a walk-off home run that secured a 7-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners. On July 11, he hit his 400th career home run. He finished the year with 19 home runs in 278 at-bats, scoring 41 runs and recording 48 RBIs and 64 hits in 107 games, his most appearances since 2007. His batting average was .230, and his OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) exceeded .800 for the first time in four seasons.

3.5. New York Yankees (2011-2012)

On January 20, 2011, Jones and the New York Yankees agreed to a one-year contract for the 2011 season worth 2.00 M USD, with an additional 1.20 M USD in performance bonuses. In his first Yankees at-bat on April 5, 2011, Jones hit a home run over the left field wall at Yankee Stadium off the Minnesota Twins' Brian Duensing. He finished the season with a .247 batting average, 13 home runs, and 33 RBIs. He became a free agent after the World Series.

Jones re-signed with the Yankees for the 2012 season on December 30, 2011, agreeing to a one-year deal worth 2.00 M USD. He was initially slated for a backup role, but due to Brett Gardner's stint on the disabled list, Jones received more starts than anticipated. He performed well in the first half of the season, hitting 12 home runs in his first 62 games, including three over the course of a doubleheader in Boston. However, his performance declined in August and September, as he batted only .139 with two home runs over his final 32 games, finishing the season with a .197 batting average. He became a free agent again on October 29, 2012.

3.6. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2013-2014)

On December 7, 2012, Jones agreed to a one-year contract worth 300.00 M JPY (approximately 3.50 M USD) with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League. His agreement was officially announced on December 16, and on January 29, 2013, he held a joint entrance press conference with Casey McGehee, who had also joined the Eagles from the Yankees. Jones was assigned jersey number 25. He was also selected to the Netherlands national baseball team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

In the 2013 NPB season, Jones was primarily used as the "cleanup" (fourth) hitter and designated hitter, forming a formidable trio with Ginji and McGehee. He hit his first home run in Japan on April 5 against the Chiba Lotte Marines. He was selected to the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game as a designated hitter via both fan and player voting. On July 28, he achieved a significant milestone, recording his 2,000th career hit across MLB and NPB (1,933 MLB, 67 NPB) in a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines. On September 26, he hit a crucial three-run double in the seventh inning against the Saitama Seibu Lions, contributing to the team's first-ever Pacific League championship. He played in 143 games, starting all of them as the fourth batter. He finished the season with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs, but also led the league with 164 strikeouts. Despite a .243 batting average, he led the league with 105 walks, achieving a high on-base percentage of .391. In the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series against the Marines, he hit two home runs. In Game 4 of the 2013 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he hit a three-run home run in the first inning, becoming only the fourth player in history to hit a home run in both the World Series and the Japan Series. Following the season, Jones decided to remain with Rakuten, stating he had "no intention of returning to America (MLB)" when he came to Japan.

For the 2014 season, Jones re-signed with Rakuten for 400.00 M JPY (approximately 3.80 M USD). Manager Senichi Hoshino continued to bat him cleanup. Despite a slow start in spring training, with Hoshino noting his batting average was "shorter than his height (73 in ^{(185 cm)})", Jones hit his first walk-off home run in Japan on April 22 against the Seibu Lions. On May 1, he hit two home runs in a single game against the Marines. On May 2, in a game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a deep fly ball initially ruled a double was changed to a home run after a video replay review showed it had hit a fan in the stands before bouncing back onto the field. On September 17, he recorded three walks, marking his second consecutive season with 100 or more walks, a rare achievement in NPB. He finished the season with a Pacific League record 118 walks. Notably, his 118 walks exceeded his 99 hits, a rare feat achieved by only two other players since the NPB's two-league split: Sadaharu Oh (four times) and Clarence Jones. Rakuten's contract with Jones concluded at the end of the 2014 season, and he was released as a free agent on December 2.

4.1. Overall Career Statistics

4.2. Hitting Prowess and Tendencies

Throughout his MLB career, Jones consistently recorded around 30 home runs, with his power increasing around 2005, leading to two consecutive seasons with over 40 home runs. He finished his MLB career with a .254 batting average, .337 on-base percentage, and .486 slugging percentage, along with 434 home runs and 1,289 RBIs. His home run total ranked tied for 40th on the all-time list at the end of his career.

Despite his power, Jones was known for striking out frequently, and his batting average often fell below the league average. He once stated that he considered himself a ".270 hitter" and believed his primary role was to hit home runs and drive in runs rather than achieve a high batting average. He only batted .300 or better once in his career, hitting .303 in 2000, and batted just .214 in his final six MLB seasons. Jones was particularly strong on the first pitch but struggled with a low batting average when facing two strikes. This tendency often led opposing pitchers to throw more balls, resulting in a higher number of walks for Jones due to his discerning eye at the plate. After moving to Japan, his walk rate significantly increased, leading the Pacific League in walks in both 2013 and 2014, and maintaining an on-base percentage close to .400 despite a lower batting average. In 2014, the Rakuten Eagles occasionally moved him to the third spot in the batting order to leverage his high on-base percentage.

Jones holds the distinction of having the lowest batting average (.263), slugging percentage (.575), on-base percentage (.347), and runs scored (95) in a season for an MLB player who hit 50 or more home runs (51 in 2005).

4.3. Defensive Prowess

Jones was renowned for his exceptional defensive abilities in the outfield, particularly in center field. He won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1998 to 2007. His 10 Gold Gloves as an outfielder tie him for third all-time with Al Kaline, Ichiro Suzuki, and Ken Griffey Jr., behind only Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente (both with 12). He was known for his speed and wide defensive range, often playing in a shallow position in the outfield. He possessed the ability to quickly and accurately reach the landing spot of batted balls, allowing him to effortlessly handle difficult plays that other outfielders might miss. His strong arm and accurate throws further solidified his reputation as an elite defender. In 1999, his 493 putouts ranked 11th all-time for an outfielder and first since 1981. Fangraphs has ranked Jones as the most valuable defensive outfielder in baseball history.

During his tenure in Japan, where the Pacific League primarily uses the designated hitter rule, Jones played only 17 games in the field in 2013, all at first base, a position he had only played in eight MLB games previously. He committed no errors at first base. In the 2013 Japan Series, which does not use the designated hitter, Jones insisted on playing left field and center field, asserting he was a better fielder than teammate Ginji, who was then moved to first base. In 2014, he made his first start in right field in Japan.

4.4. Baserunning

Early in his career, Jones was known for his speed, which helped him secure the final playoff spot on the Braves' roster in 1996. He stole 20 or more bases annually from 1997 to 2000. However, his speed declined as he focused more on power hitting and experienced a noticeable weight gain. After 2001, he never stole more than 10 bases in a season. While his initial speed to first base was around 4.25 seconds, slightly above average, he demonstrated his true speed when rounding bases and in his defensive play.