Andruw Jones officially inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Jones is officially a Hall of Famer, where his legacy as one of the greatest Braves will be forever acknowledged among the best talents in baseball history. He’s also a trailblazer for Curacao, becoming its first native to make the Hall.

Jones’ plaque says the following:

“Elite defensive center fielder. Saved runs with his glove while delivering middle-of-the-order power for a Braves team that advanced to the postseason in each year of his first decade in the big leagues. At 19 years old in 1996 debut, Curacao native became youngest player ever to homer in the World Series, hitting a pair in Game 1. From 1998-2007, averaged 25 home runs and better than 100 RBI while earning Gold Glove awards all 10 years. One of only four players with at least 10 Gold Gloves and 400 home runs (434 total).”

Jones is the 60th Braves representative in the Hall of Fame. He’s the eighth from the 1990s Braves, who achieved an unprecedented era of sustained success. Jones was one of the faces of that run, beloved by fans for his highlight-reel plays — in the field and the box — and coolness that every youngster aspired to replicate.

There was a large Braves contingent at the ceremony. No. 25 jerseys were seen throughout Cooperstown. A sizable group from Curacao attended and waved a flag as Jones spoke. Numerous Braves executives and former teammates came, including Brian Snitker and Jeff Francoeur. Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, a longtime Braves fan, was also here for the weekend, even wearing Jones’ jersey and a No. 25 hat Sunday.

Jones thanked so many involved in his journey, from his family to Curacao to his teammates to the Braves and his other clubs to his agency, Boras Corp., to acknowledging those he met in Japan, where he won a championship after his MLB days concluded.

His mother, Carmen, his wife, Nicole, and their children, Madison and Druw, a prospect in the Diamondbacks system, were seated in the front row and smiling throughout his 13-minute speech.

Jones was emotional discussing his father, Henry, who died a decade ago. He thanked his dad for his baseball success. “He showed me what it takes to become a successful baseball player and a great person,” Jones said. “Because he played center field, I wanted to be a center fielder.”

He attributed his mindset of “I could go 0-for-4 and still impact the game” to his father’s life lessons.

Jones had special acknowledgment for his Braves teammates on stage, and particularly for longtime teammate Chipper Jones, whom he called his “brother from another mother.” He thanked Chipper for pushing for his induction throughout the years.

“The Jones boys are in Cooperstown now,” Andruw Jones said.

As Jones thanked the scouts, coaches and executives during his career, he paid tribute to his late manager, Cox.

“Nobody in the Braves organization had a bigger impact on me than manager Bobby Cox,” Jones said. “He put a 19-year-old in the World Series lineup and believed in me. Bobby had confidence in me and helped me become the best player I could be. He commanded respect, created a winning culture. … For my 12 years with the Braves, he was my only manager. He was like a second father to me. I know he’s looking down, laughing, and he’s so happy for me and my family. Thank you, Bobby.”

Jones told stories throughout his baseball life, from battling the wind while shagging balls in Curacao to visiting Hank Aaron for a mental reset during a slump. He noted that the Braves have treated him like family since he signed as a 16-year-old in 1993.

Smoltz narrated Jones’ introduction video, again declaring him the best center fielder he’s seen. That’s a common phrase used about Jones, the all-time leader in defensive bWAR (Baseball-Reference wins above replacement) for a center fielder.

The Hall of Fame has notably lacked center fielders. Explanations for that vary; it’s difficult to maintain excellence given the position’s physical toll, for one, and center fielders are held to a higher standard because of the legendary figures who’ve for so long been associated with the position.

There are only 10 center fielders who were elected via the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, including Jones and his fellow 2026 inductee Carlos Beltran. They joined Ken Griffey Jr. (2016), Kirby Puckett (2001), Duke Snider (1980), Willie Mays (1979), Mickey Mantle (1974), Joe DiMaggio (1955), Tris Speaker (1937) and Ty Cobb (1936).

Former Braves coach Terry Pendleton famously told a story of Mays saying Jones was the best defensive player he’d ever seen. It was a seismic compliment given many consider Mays the position’s standard.

Now, Jones and Mays are teammates in Cooperstown for the rest of time.

This completes the Braves’ flurry of Hall of Fame inductees since 2014, a testament to one of the most illustrious runs in American sports.

“Baseball has given me so much and been a part of my entire life,” Jones said. “Throwing the ball with my dad, the ups and downs of my career, and now still working for the Atlanta Braves organization, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”