Atlanta Braves legendary central fielder Andruw Jones will have his number 25 retired by the franchise later this year. The Braves confirmed the news on Monday.
The retirement ceremony will take place on September 9 before Atlanta’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jones spent the first 12 of his 17 seasons in MLB with the Braves organization. During that time, he made five All-Star teams, won the Gold Glove Award 10 times, and was MLB home run leader in 2005. He now becomes the 11th player in franchise history to get the honor of having his number retired.
“It’s a great honor getting your number retired. You don’t think about things like that while you’re playing. You just play the game you love,” said Jones in a statement. “I’m thankful to the Braves for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love.”
Andruw Jones left the Braves in 2007 after his contract expired. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2008 season and later also played with the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. Jones ended his professional career in Japan with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Jones retired with a .254 batting average in MLB alongside 434 career home runs and 1,289. The support for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame has been growing in recent years, and he had 41.4 percent of the vote in 2022.
