COLUMN: Andruw Jones to take his rightful place in Cooperstown

It finally happened.

Andruw Jones is a Hall of Famer.

Known for his time with Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves from 1996-2007, Jones was announced on Tuesday as a member of the 2026 National Baseball Hall of Fame class. Therefore, when July 26 rolls around, the greatest defensive outfielder of my lifetime — and there’s no convincing me otherwise — will take his rightful place in Cooperstown, N.Y., becoming the first Curacao native to do so.

First eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018, Jones only appeared on 7.3% of ballots during his initial voting cycle — a player must receive 75% of votes to be inducted — but his percentage increased each year before reaching 78.4% in his ninth year of eligibility. And it’s a good thing he made it this time around, as players are taken off the ballot after 10 years.

Some people point to Jones’ steep decline during the latter part of his career as a reason for keeping him out of the Hall of Fame. However, in his heyday, he was not only an outstanding outfielder, but a dangerous hitter as well.

In addition to winning 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1998-2007 — legends Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente are the only outfielders to win more than 10 Gold Gloves in their career — Jones was also a five-time All-Star who finished second to Albert Pujols in National League MVP voting in 2005. That season, Jones hit a career-high 51 home runs to go with a .263 batting average, 154 total hits (including 24 doubles and three triples), 128 RBIs, and 95 runs scored en route to earning a Silver Slugger Award.

Over his 17-year career, which began at the age of 19 in 1996, Jones batted .254 with 1,933 hits including 434 homers, 383 doubles, and 36 triples. He also stole 152 bases while knocking in 1,289 runs and scoring 1,204 times.

Those aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers, but when you factor in how many runs, he saved in center field, I believe that Jones clearly has the resume of a Hall of Famer. His defensive range was next-level, and he also had an above-average throwing arm.

Jones was also rarely injured during his time with the Braves, never appearing in less than 153 games in a season from 1997 (his first full season) through 2007 (his final year in Atlanta). He even played in all 162 games in 1999 before appearing in 161 games each of the next two years.

Although he failed to find the same type of success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees over the final five years of his career, what Jones was able to accomplish in Atlanta is what ultimately pushed him over the top. He was an integral part of the Braves for a decade-plus, and it was high time that Hall of Fame voters gave him his flowers.

Only 49 other players in MLB history have hit as many homers as Jones, who also ranks 90th all-time in extra-base hits (853). Notably, that’s more extra-base hits than such Hall of Famers as Clemente, Duke Snider, Carlton Fisk, Edgar Martinez, Brooks Robinson, Joe Morgan, Roberto Alomar, and Johnny Bench, all of whom played at least as many seasons as Jones did.

I understand that extra-base hits aren’t everything, but it’s still impressive when you’re on a list with names like Clemente, Fisk, Robinson, and Bench. And when your defensive prowess results in you being mentioned in the same breath as the “Say Hey Kid” — aka the aforenamed Mays, who is widely considered one of the best baseball players ever — that also turns heads.

At the end of the day, while I feel that it took longer than it should have for Jones to be voted in, at least he’s now receiving his just due. This summer, he will become the eighth member of the 1997 Braves to be inducted, joining pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, third baseman Chipper Jones, first baseman Fred McGriff, manager Bobby Cox, and general manager John Schuerholz (credit to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi for this statistic).

I guess you could say the squad is back together again, and right where they all belong.