Hank Aaron 1954-1974 (142.5 WAR)
Wins above replacement, or WAR, is the most useful statistic for estimating a player’s value. This analytical metric was not accessible until quite recently. I’ll explain the differences in the WAR formula between pitchers and position players in simple terms. WAR calculates how many wins a player may have over a league average player by taking into account position, ballpark, and every facet of the game, including batting, baserunning, and fielding. Let’s examine the top 24 players in the history of the Atlanta Braves, a team that has played in cities like Boston and Milwaukee before settling in Georgia permanently, using WAR to help us rank them.
Hank Aaron was a member of the Braves when they still held home games in Milwaukee, and he holds the majority of the team’s notable offensive records in part because of his 21 seasons of service. but only in part. Because “Hammering Hank” was an absolute force in the batter’s box, and let’s not undervalue that for a minute. Aaron hit.310/.377/.567 in nearly 3100 games for the Braves, with 733 home runs and 2202 RBI. He still owns the Major League record for total bases and RBI. With the Braves, Aaron was chosen for the all-star team for 20 straight seasons, won two batting titles, three Gold Glove awards, and was named the NL MVP in 1957. In the same year, he received a World Series championship ring.
Kid Nichols 1890-1901 (107.2 WAR)
Although many of the Braves that follow on this list have fairly well-known names, this one is most likely not. Long before any of us were born, back when they were still called the Boston Beaneaters, Righty Kid Nichols was a pitcher for this team. Nichols played for the Beaneaters for 12 seasons, winning 330 games with an excellent 3.00 ERA. In addition to finishing 476 of his 502 starts for this team, he led the Majors in victories for three straight seasons (1896–1898) and was elected into the Old Timers Committee’s Hall of Fame in 1947.
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