Braves Mt. Rushmore: Shortstop
Today’s Mt. Rushmore is at the position of the infielder who’s traditionally the best all-around fielder. And if the Braves have been anything over the course of their history, it’s traditional.
So, had someone asked me to tell them the story of the Braves franchise position-by-position, these shortstops would be the guys I’d begin with.
Rafael Furcal
The 2000 National League Rookie of the Year was the total package, if you were tasked with starting a team with a prototypical shortstop. His time in Atlanta spanned from 2000-2005. He earned the first of his three All-Star selections with the Braves in 2003.
Coincidentally, an injury to then-shortstop Walt Weiss - who is now a bench coach for the Braves - is what started his MLB career. He was 2-for-4 in that debut against the Rockies.
Funny story about Furcal; he told the Braves he was 2 years younger than he really was. In 2002, the Braves found out he was 23 years old; he led them to believe he was 21 at the time. The 23-year old tied an MLB record for triples in a game later that season, with three against the Florida Marlins. The best season against St. Louis he turned an unassisted triple play. One of the guys he got out during the turn was Mike Matheny, who would later be his manager when he played for the Cardinals.
In 2004, he was arrested for drunk driving. A 22-day jail sentence was in order, but his lawyer somehow arranged for it to be delayed until the Braves postseason run concluded.
He wouldn’t return to the Braves.
Johnny Logan
Johnny is the first player on any of these Mt. Rushmore’s that played for the Boston Braves. He made his MLB debut for the Boston Braves in April of 1951. He would play for the Braves organization until 1961, which included their move from Boston to Milwaukee.
During his time with the Braves he was a four-time All-Star (1955, 1957, 1958, & the second All-Star game of 1959), a World Series Champion in 1957, & is memorialized on the American Family Field Walk of Fame in Milwaukee.
His single-most shining moment came in the 1957 World Series when he hit the first home run of the series in the Braves’ Game 2 win over the New York Yankees.
Andrelton Simmons
You probably weren’t expecting to see Simmons in this group, maybe justifiably so. But what you cannot deny is that you’ve never seen a Braves shortstop better defensively than Simba. During his 2012-2015 time with Atlanta, he won two of his four Gold Glove Awards & three of his six Fielding Bible Awards.
Sadly, what he’ll likely be remembered for for his time in Atlanta is being the batter that hit the single called an Infield Fly against the Cardinals in the 2012 NL Wildcard Game.
In his first full season (2013), he had the highest Defensive Runs Saved season ever recorded. He earned the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award for his performance.
In 2025, he was traded along with an MiLB catcher to the Angels in exchange for Erick Aybar, Sean Newcomb, & Chris Ellis.
Jeff Blauser
The 4th-overall pick in the 1984 Draft by the Braves, he’d go on to win a World Series with the organization in 1995. He was a two-time All-Star (1993 & 1997) as well as a Silver Slugger Award winner in 1997.
More than anyone else in this group, he was known for his bat. Way more than anyone else in this group, his glove was a liability. Often leading to be replaced defensively in the later innings.
After the 1997 season, he signed a 2-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Honorable Mention
For as up & down as he’s been, Dansby Swanson has been an infield regular in a historic 2021 infield. A World Series Champion in 2021. The former No. 1 overall pick became just the second Brave to hit an inside-the-Park home run as his first career MLB home run, joining Paul Runge. He’s won an National League East title four of his six MLB seasons. If the local Kennesaw boy can be described in one word, that word is CLUTCH.
That’s never been on display as large as when the Braves were down 2 runs to 1 in the 8th inning of World Series Game 4. Dansby came up to bat & smacked a game-tying home run to the opposite field. Jorge Soler would hit the go-ahead home run the very next at-bat. Giving Atlanta the 3 games to 2 World Series advantage. The Braves would go on to win the 2021 World Series.