We’ve officially hit the quarter mark of the 21st century, and with that milestone comes a flood of retrospectives—lists, debates, and rosters aiming to define who truly ruled the sports world over the past 25 years.
On Thursday, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark and Tyler Kepner added their voice to the conversation, releasing an MLB All-Quarter Century Team featuring 40 of the game’s greatest.
But if you’re a Braves fan, you might want to take a deep breath before scrolling through the final list—because Atlanta legend Chipper Jones didn’t make the cut.
Wait No Chipper?
Third base was always going to be a contentious position. And, to their credit, Stark and Kepner didn’t shy away from the debate. Adrián Beltré and Alex Rodriguez were ultimately selected as the team’s third base reps.
But according to the writers themselves, it wasn’t a smooth decision. Stark went to bat for Chipper. Kepner dug in for A-Rod. And neither, apparently, had the final say.
In Kepner’s corner: Rodriguez’s eye-popping power numbers. A WAR machine. 548 home runs in the 2000s. Multiple MVPs. And yes, that pesky little footnote—performance-enhancing drugs. Not just once, but twice.
On Stark’s side: the consistency, longevity, and elegance of Larry Wayne Jones. The .300/.400/.500 club? He lived there. A batting title at 36? Check. Still an All-Star and MVP vote-getter at 40? Yep. And all of it done with no steroid cloud hanging over his legacy.
But What About Beltré?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The back-and-forth focused heavily on Rodriguez vs. Jones, but no one really argued against the inclusion of Adrián Beltré. And that’s a little surprising—not because Beltré isn’t deserving, but because the numbers show this was a genuine three-man race.
Beltré, often underappreciated during his playing days, built a résumé that’s hard to poke holes in: 477 homers, over 1,700 RBIs, nearly 3,200 hits, and a defensive highlight reel at third base that perfectly.
He played almost his entire career in this century—only missing the cutoff by two seasons—giving him a slight edge in pure timeline consistency. Jones and A-Rod, meanwhile, racked up a chunk of their accolades in the ’90s.
And that’s likely the technicality that pushed Chipper off the list. His lone MVP? 1999. His peak years? Mostly split between the two centuries. If this was the Last 30 Years Team, he’s a lock. But in a list shaped by what happened from 2000 onward, he just barely got boxed out by two players with more 21st-century bulk.
Braves Country Has a Case
Stark made a passionate case for Chipper, calling out his remarkable combination of average, power, and longevity—cleanly earned. And when the argument hinges on “yeah, he had issues, but…” you can’t help but think Chipper should’ve gotten the benefit of the doubt over a twice-suspended PED user.
The truth is all three third basemen were phenomenal. You’re splitting hairs between greatness, controversy, and legacy. And even though Jones didn’t make the final cut, the fact that his name sparked the most intense debate says a lot. In the eyes of Braves Country, Chipper should have been on this list.
