The Best Braves First Basem*n Since 1990 (2024)

Matt Olson has begun his tenure as Atlanta’s first baseman making it an ideal time to look back on the best Braves first basem*n since 1990.

It is no secret that Freddie Freeman - who is now bedecked in Dodger blue - is far-and-away the best first basem*n since the Braves left Boston. Frankly, he’s the best in franchise history, edging out Frank Tenney and even that comparison isn’t apt as Tenney spent a significant portion of his Braves tenure behind the dish.

Looking back at each season is not only a fond reminder of days gone by but also a stark reminder of the positional challenges the organization suffered through at various stages of its recent past.

Prior to Freeman’s run as a starter, the Braves had struggled mightily at the position for a decade. As a matter of fact, multiple seasons in the 2000s the Braves produced negative bWAR at the position - something that is almost unfathomable.

Before diving into the post 1990-era, it’s worth touching on the previous decades’ notable first basem*n since moving to Atlanta.

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Chris Chambliss anchored the position for the first-half of the 1980s, drawing down-ballot MVP votes during the Braves Division winning season of 1982. From 1980 through 1986, the veteran Chambliss produced 8.2 bWAR.

Bob Horner provided back-to-back seasons of 1.9 bWAR in his is last two seasons with Atlanta in the mid-1980s. Gerald Perry was an All Star in 1988 but he posted only a 0.2 bWAR for the season - one which was at the depth of Braves awfulness and the first season of Dale Murphy’s precipitous decline.

The 1970s were bookended with notable Braves legends playing the positions. At the beginning of the decade, Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Orlando Cepeda shared first base duties with Aaron posting All Star seasons as he split time between first and the outfield.

Willie Montanez was an All Star in 1977 but his season ended up with a negative bWAR rating. The following two seasons saw the Braves give significant time at the position to youngsters Murphy and Horner. Murphy struggled at the position - one that was transitory as he shifted from catcher to outfielder.

It is also worth mentioning Mike Lum, who spent the majority of the decade rotating between all three outfield positions and first base for Atlanta - save a three season run with the Cincinnati Reds from 1976 to 1978.

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After the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, Felipe Alou, Tito Francona and Joe Torre played the majority of games at the position until Cepeda manned it in 1969. Alou was an All Star in 1966 and 1968. Torre, who spent less that 30 games at first base in each of 1966 and 1967, was an All Star those season while the team’s primary catcher.

Moving into the post 1990-era, there is a qualifier that is worth noting. The minimum number of game appeared at the position is 65, which is 40-percent of a 162-game season. Also, for Top 5 rankings, I am excluding the 2020 season due to the length of the season.

I know.

It was 2020 that produced Freddie Freeman’s MVP season. His numbers that season were spectacular. He produced a 1.102 OPS and a 187 OPS+ good for 3.3 bWAR. Amazing production; but given another 100 games, could he maintained those levels? We will never know.

With the 2020 season standing alone as a historic season for Freeman and the franchise, let’s take a look at the best first basem*n to play for Atlanta since 1990. As always, this is based on Baseball-Reference’s statistics and will almost exclusively focus on offensive metrics.

Here are the best single season by a first baseman since 1990; expect a lot of Freddie Freeman, Fred McGriff and Andres Galarraga.

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Top 5 Seasons, by bWAR

Freddie Freeman, 2016, 6.3

Freddie Freeman, 2018, 5.5

Freddie Freeman, 2013, 5.3

Andres Galarraga, 1998, 5.0

Freddie Freeman, 2017, 4.7

Freddie Freeman, 2021, 4.7

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Top 5 Seasons, by OPS+

Fred McGriff, 1993, 165

Freddie Freeman, 2016, 157

Andres Galarraga, 1998, 157

Fred McGriff, 1994, 157

Freddie Freeman, 2017, 155

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Top 5 Seasons, by HR

Andres Galarraga, 1998, 44

Freddie Freeman, 2019, 38

Freddie Freeman, 2016, 34

Fred McGriff, 1994, 34

Adam LaRoche, 2006, 32

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Top 5 Seasons, RBI

Andres Galarraga, 1998, 121

Freddie Freeman, 2019, 121

Freddie Freeman, 2013, 109

Fred McGriff, 1996, 107

Andres Galarraga, 2000, 100

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Top 5 Seasons, Runs

Freddie Freeman, 2021, 120

Freddie Freeman, 2019, 113

Andres Galarraga, 2000, 1.2

Adam LaRoche, 2004, 1.1

Julio Franco, 2004, 1.1

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Top 5 OPS+, 2000s

Mark Teixeira, 2008, 137

Adam LaRoche, 2006, 130

Andres Galarraga, 2000, 123

Julio Franco, 2003, 113

Julio Franco, 2004, 111

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Top 5 BA, 2000s

Julio Franco, 2004, .309

Andres Galarraga, 2000, .302

Julio Franco, 2003, .294

Adam LaRoche, 2006, .285

Julio Franco, 2002, .284

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Top 5 HR, 2000s

Adam LaRoche, 2006, 32

Andres Galarraga, 2000, 28

Adam LaRoche, 2005, 20

Mark Teixeira, 2008, 20

Adam LaRoche, 2004, 13

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Top 5 Everything, 2010s

Freddie Freeman was Top 5 for every total for the 2010s, to the shock of no one. Other than Troy Glaus in 2010, Freeman the only first baseman to qualify in any other season. Marvel at Freeman’s numbers:

Top 5 bWAR

2016, 6.3

2018, 5.5

2013, 5.3

2017, 4.7

2019, 3.7

Top 5 OPS+

2016, 157

2017, 155

2013, 147

2014, 139

2018, 139

Top 5 BA

2013, 0.319

2018, 0.309

2017, 0.307

2016, 0.302

2019, 0.295

Top 5 HR

2019, 38

2016, 34

2017, 28

2012, 23

2013, 23

2018, 23

Here are the best cumulative totals for Atlanta’s first basem*n since 1990.

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Top 5 bWAR, Qualifying Seasons

Freddie Freeman, 40.1

Fred McGriff, 11.1

Andres Galarraga, 6.2

Mark Teixeira, 4.1

David Justice, 2.9

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Top 5 HR, Qualifying Seasons

Freddie Freeman, 257

Fred McGriff, 130

Andres Galarraga, 72

Adam LaRoche, 65

Brian Hunter, 32

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Top 5 RBI, Qualifying Seasons

Freddie Freeman, 887

Fred McGriff, 446

Andres Galarraga, 221

Adam LaRoche, 213

Sid Bream, 141

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Top 5 Runs, Qualifying Seasons

Freddie Freeman, 915

Fred McGriff, 383

Adam LaRoche, 187

Andres Galarraga, 170

Julio Franco, 116

These are the youngest and oldest first basem*n to qualifying since 1990.

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Top 5 Youngest

Freddie Freeman, 2011, 21

Brian Hunter, 1991, 22

Freddie Freeman, 2012, 22

Brian Hunter, 1992, 23

Freddie Freeman, 2013, 23

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Top 5 Oldest

Julio Franco, 2004, 45

Julio Franco, 2003, 44

Julio Franco, 2002, 43

Andres Galarraga, 2000, 39

Andres Galarraga, 1998, 37

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Between Freddie Freeman, Andres Galarraga and Fred McGriff, the Braves have had a top-heavy run of quality first basem*n with Freeman’s status as a franchise icon put him in his own stratosphere. Here are some other interesting pieces of information worth mentioning.

Several seasons saw qualifying first baseman produce 0.0 bWAR or worse for a season. This included the 1991, 2001, 2005 and 2007 seasons.
For the decade, the 2000s produced only 8.5 total bWAR from qualifying seasons.
The worst seasons by bWAR for qualifying players included Rico Brogna (-1.0) in 2001, Scott Thorman (-0.9) in 2007, Adam LaRoche (-0.8) in 2005, Wes Helms (-0.5) in 2001 and Brian Hunter (-0.2) in 1991.
The lack of performance the Braves received from their first baseman in the 2000s magnifies just how great Freddie Freeman was in the 2010s.
Of 40 qualifying player seasons, only 50-percent of the seasons featured an first baseman hitting 19 or more home runs.
Although his totals were not high enough to appear on the Top 5 lists, Ryan Klesko had a solid season in 1999 as part of the three-person platoon covering the position while Galarraga was out with cancer treatment. Klesko slashed .297/.376/.532. His platoon mate Randall Simon seemed poised to break-out after hitting .317. The Curacao native had a couple of decent seasons after being traded to Detroit but is probably best remembered for hitting a sausage in Milwaukee’s sausage race in 2003.
Brian Hunter had the biggest gap in seasons between appearances - he appeared in 1991 and 1992 and returned to Atlanta as part of the 1999 platoon.
Hello, Robert Fick and Casey Kotchman, you both also qualified for this list, posting positive results.
Atlanta struggled mightily in the 2000s - so much so that Julio Franco and his three seasons of 2.1 bWAR was second best for the entire decade. Here’s to Matt Franco, who didn’t qualify for this list, but made for the fun Franco and Franco platoon in 2002.
Of the 40 qualifying seasons, 16 were produced by Freddie Freeman and Fred McGriff.
Lastly, with 62 games played at first, Julio Franco just missed this ranking for his 2005 season .. when he was 46!

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To recap, this Best of First Basem*n list:

Freddie Freeman was awesome.
Fred McGriff was really good.
Andres Galarraga had a wonderful season at age 37.
Julio Franco being Julio Franco into his mid-40’s was inspiring.

In another ten years, will we look back at the 2020s as the decade of Matt Olsen? Only time will tell.

The Best Braves First Basem*n Since 1990 (2024)

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