There are many players throughout baseball history who began their careers on a Hall of Fame path before injuries or a production dropoff caught up with them. Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones may be a special case in that discussion. Jones is regarded by many as the best defensive center fielder in the game, once recording 10 straight Gold Glove Awards. He was no slouch at the plate, either, slugging 434 home runs, but his career took a nosedive after leaving the Braves in free agency in December 2007.

Jones’ story begins in Curacao, where he signed with the Braves as a 16-year old while receiving a $46,000 signing bonus. He hit .290/.368/.412 with three home runs and 21 stolen bases in 63 games between the Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League in 1994. As an 18-year-old in Low-A in 1995, he hit .277/.372/.512 with 41 doubles and 25 homers and was named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year and the No. 1 overall prospect heading into the 1996 season.

His career took off in 1996 where he rocketed through three levels of the minors to make his major league debut at age 19 with the Braves. Jones dominated his way through the minors, hitting .339/.421/.652 with 34 home runs in 116 games.