The Atlanta Braves claimed their first World Series for the city of Atlanta in 1995. The Braves were led by their incredible pitching staff which included the three-headed monster of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. The Braves finished first in the league in team ERA with a 3.44 mark.
The offense finished 21st in runs scored. They did pack some pop, finishing 8th in home runs.
We re-visit that magical season by using statistics of all ages to highlight the top five hitters on that championship squad.
Disclaimer: It’s important to note the 1995 season was shortened down to just 144 games due to the player strike.
Top 5 Atlanta Braves Hitters in 1995
The list below is based on a combination of efficiency numbers and cumulative contribution. Statistics like WAR or wRC help measure cumulative contributions. For example, Ryan Klesko had the best statistics per plate appearance, but he only had 381 PAs in 1995. We’ll take it all into account as we run through our list of the 1995 Atlanta Braves top five hitters.
1995 Atlanta Braves #5 Best Hitter: Javy Lopez
Javier Lopez was just 24 years old in 1995 and coming off of his first full season in the big leagues. Lopez finished 10th in Rookie of the Year Voting in 1994.
In 1995 he appeared in 100 games for Atlanta. Between the strike-shortened 1994 and 1995 seasons, the young backstop appeared in 180 games and blasted 27 homers, 87 RBI, and a .284 average.
In 1995, Lopez finished fifth on the Braves in homers with 14 (in 100 games) with 51 runs batted in and a stellar .315 batting average.
His .842 OPS was fourth-best on the team. Lopez’s .842 OPS was also good for fourth in all of baseball among catchers with at least 300 PAs. He trailed only Scott Servais, Todd Hundley, and Mike Piazza.
162-Game Pace: 23 HRs & 83 RBI
For all of the damage Javy did in the regular season, you can’t forget this (video below) timely two-run homer in Game 2 of the World Series to break a 2-2 tie and give the Braves all the runs they would need for the victory.
1995 Atlanta Braves #4 Best Hitter: David Justice
Justice finished second in home runs on the Braves in 1995 with 24. What makes his homer total even more impressive is that he did it in just 120 games that season.
David Justice entered the 1995 season having already established himself as a prolific power hitter. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1990 and posted a 135 OPS+ with 129 homers over his first five full seasons in the big leagues.
He was coming off of two-straight All-Star selections and earned MVP votes in three different seasons, finishing 3rd in 1993.
162-Game Pace: 32 HRs & 105 RBI
David Justice would have a twisting path to eventually being one of the heroes of the Game 6 finale of the 1995 World Series. Justice compared Atlanta fans very unfavorably to the Cleveland Indians’ fanbase.
The fans let him have it in Game 6, ready to run him out of Atlanta… until he hit the World Series-winning home run in the sixth inning. Glavine told his guys to give him one, and Justice delivered.
During the regular season, Justice’s bat was just as excellent. David Justice slashed .253/.365/.479. He finished third on the team in OPS with .844, slightly ahead of our number five hitter Javy Lopez (.842).
1995 Atlanta Braves #3 Best Hitter: Ryan Klesko
Ryan Kelsko played in 13 fewer games than David Justice and had just 381 PAs in 1995. Klesko finished tied for third on the team in homers with 23.
He slashed .310/.396/.608. His wRC+ of 156 was far away the best on the team. His OPS+ of 158 was well ahead of the second-best Braves hitter that season (McGriff at 119).
Below are a few efficiency stats to put in perspective what a beast Ryan Klesko was on a per-plate-appearance basis.
1995 Atlanta Braves: Park Adjusted Runs Above Average Based on wOBA
- Ryan Klesko – 26.8
- Fred McGriff – 15.9
- David Justice – 12.5
- Chipper Jones – 9.1
- Javy Lopez – 8.5
1995 Atlanta Braves: OPS+ Leaders
- Ryan Klesko – 158
- Fred McGriff – 119
- David Justice – 118
- Javy Lopez – 117
- Chipper Jones – 108
Klesko was on a 162-game pace to hit 36 homers and 106 RBI in 1995.
Ryan Klesko would go on to homer in three-consecutive World Series games that season.
1995 Atlanta Braves #2 Best Hitter: Chipper Jones
As you may have noticed on the previous page, Chipper was just fifth in OPS+ on the Braves in 1995. How did he end up as the number two best hitter for the team in 1995?
This is where durability and cumulative contribution come into play. Chipper played 140 games (out of 144) in his rookie season, second only to Fred McGriff’s 144. His 602 plate appearances were four behind Marquis Grissom‘s team-leading 606 PAs.
Chipper slashed .265/.353/.450 in his rookie season. He clobbered 23 homers and drove in 86 runs for Atlanta. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and even finished 18th in MVP voting in 1995.
Chipper walked an impressive 12.1% of his PAs as a rookie and finished tied for the team lead in total walks with 73.
Jones also kicked in eight stolen bases and led the club in runs scored with 87. It was an auspicious start to a Hall of Fame career.
162-Game Pace: 27 HRs,100 RBI, 101 Runs
1995 Atlanta Braves #1 Best Hitter: Fred McGriff
The “Crime Dog” Fred McGriff played in all 144 games in 1995. He slashed .280/.361/.489, racking up a team-leading 27 homers. He also led the club with 93 RBI, 27 doubles, and 148 hits.
He posted 93 wRC, the only Atlanta Braves player from 1995 with more than 90. In fact, McGriff and Chipper were the only two players to exceed 80 wRC that season.
McGriff posted an .850 OPS and a 119 OPS+. McGriff earned his third All-Star selection that year and appeared in MVP voting for the eighth time of his career.
162-Game Pace: 30 HRs & 105 RBI
More Atlanta Braves All-Time Lists
- 8 Most Hated Braves of Past 30 Years
- Atlanta Braves Top 5 Free Agent Signings in Franchise History
- All-Time Best Braves by Position
You have your own list? Do you contest our rankings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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