Atlanta Braves fans never forgot how great Andruw Jones was. They remember the playoff moments. They remember the unbelievable catches. They remember how dominant he was at his best. To them, Jones has always been a Hall of Famer.
For a long time, the rest of baseball did not fully agree. That is now starting to change.
Jones is in his ninth year on the Hall of Fame ballot. Over the last few years, support for him has grown fast. His vote percentage has nearly doubled, rising from 33.9 percent to 66.2 percent. That kind of jump is rare and shows voters are taking a second look at his career.
Right now, tracking shows Jones close to the needed mark. Players must get 75 percent of the vote to be inducted. Tracking numbers often run higher than the final count, so nothing is guaranteed yet. Even so, projections suggest Jones has a strong chance to cross the line this time.
Jones’ career resume is hard to ignore. He won 10 Gold Gloves and was widely seen as one of the best defensive center fielders ever. He also hit 434 home runs, combining power with elite defense in a way few players ever have.
Some voters have focused on how his career ended. Jones declined sharply late on. There were seasons where he struggled and appeared out of shape. Those final years left a negative impression for some.
But Hall of Fame cases are built on greatness, not longevity alone. Jones’ peak was special. During his 10-year prime from 1998 to 2007, he ranked third in WAR among all players in baseball. The only two ahead of him were Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds.
That level of dominance puts Jones in elite company. Very few players controlled the game on both sides the way he did at his best.
With his vote total rising and more voters rethinking his legacy, Jones appears closer than ever to Cooperstown. It may have taken time, but the baseball world is finally starting to see what Braves fans have known all along.
