Long-time Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones appears to be taking the Billy Wagner path to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Wagner, who was officially inducted in July, received the required number of votes in his 10th and final year of eligibility. It was a long wait for the hard-throwing reliever, who did not crack 11 percent his first year on the ballot and remained under 20 percent through his first four. But the late push was undeniable: 68.1 percent, then 73.8, then 82.5 — a steady climb that turned persistence into payoff.
Jones isn’t there yet, but the trajectory feels familiar. The iconic outfielder still has two years of eligibility left, and at this pace, he may not even need them both. His support has followed the same slow-burn rise — barely clearing the minimum of 5% in his first two times on the ballot, but slow-walking upwards, reaching levels over the last three years of 58.1 to 61.6 to 66.2 percent — suggesting that, like Wagner, patience might soon meet reward.
If and when Jones finally earns his Hall of Fame plaque, it won’t be due to his offensive numbers. His totals of 434 home runs, 1289 RBIs and 152 stolen bases paint a fairly favorable picture, but at .254, Jones’ career batting average would be the second-lowest among all Hall of Fame position players, just ahead of Ray Schalk (.253).
But Schalk, a catcher for the Chicago White Sox during the 1910s and 1920s, was widely considered to be the finest defensive catcher of the Dead Ball Era. Similarly, Jones is hailed by many as the best defensive center fielder of all time.
Andruw Jones Has Glowing Words for Boston Center Fielder Ceddanne Rafaela
There are numbers to back up that argument. Over his career, Jones collected 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards in center field, exceeded every other outfielder in career defensive WAR by a wide margin, and posted 230 Total Zone runs — the highest mark for a center fielder since the stat began in 1953, surpassing legends such as Willie Mays.
So when Jones talks about the players he believes are the best currently playing the position, that opinion carries significant weight. And Jones, a native of Curaçao, had nothing but positive things to say about fellow countryman Ceddanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox.
“I like his enthusiasm,” he said recently to Curaçaoan sports site Falki Deportivo. “He’s fearless out there.”
Rafaela is pretty good out there as well.
Ceddanne Rafaela’s Defensive Prowess Makes Him a Likely Keeper in Boston
In 2025, his second full-time MLB season, Rafaela finished second among all position players with 20 Defensive Runs Saved. Rafaela is a Gold Glove finalist, and he recently received the 2025 Fielding Bible Award as MLB’s top center fielder. It’s that defensive prowess that will likely keep Rafaela in a Red Sox uniform next season and beyond.
The Red Sox are expected to untangle their outfield logjam this winter, with trade speculation swirling around Rafaela, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. Roman Anthony’s rise – and untouchable status – has made the trio of starting-caliber outfielders a luxury, not a necessity, and Boston’s front office appears open to dealing from depth.
Duran’s durability and improved splits against lefties make him attractive to contenders, while Abreu’s power and defensive prowess could bring a significant return. Yet amid the uncertainty, Rafaela seems safe.
With a new organizational emphasis on run prevention and sharper fundamentals, his elite range and instincts in center align perfectly with Boston’s defensive blueprint. Add in a growing offensive profile — 34 doubles, 16 homers, 20 steals — and Rafaela looks less like trade bait and more like a cornerstone around which the next great Red Sox defense is being built.
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