Andruw Rudolf Jones (Papiamento pronunciation: [ˈandruw ˈdʒonz]; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Jones was a noted defensive specialist for most of his career and won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for outfielders every year from 1998 through 2007. He had a strong throwing arm in addition to his elite fielding. He was an MLB All-Star five times, and he won both the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award for outfielders in 2005.
Jones made his MLB debut during the 1996 season with the Atlanta Braves. In the 1996 World Series, he became the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the postseason, and just the second player ever to homer in his first two World Series at-bats. The following season, Jones finished fifth in voting for Rookie of the Year. From 1998 to 1999, he continued to increase his offensive production, and in 2000, Jones batted .303 with 36 home runs and 104 runs batted in (RBIs), making his first All-Star team. Jones started to draw many comparisons to Willie Mays and was considered one of the top center fielders in baseball. He proved to be a top defensive player, leading all center fielders in putouts and total zone runs five years in a row from 1998 to 2002. In 2001, he again hit over 30 home runs and drove in 104 runs but his average dipped to .251 while his strikeouts increased. Jones improved with All-Star seasons in 2002 and 2003, but in 2004, he failed to hit at least 30 home runs for the first time since 1999 and exceeded 100 strikeouts, which became a regular occurrence thereafter. In 2005, he led the National League (NL) with 51 home runs and 128 RBIs, finishing second to Albert Pujols for NL Most Valuable Player. In subsequent seasons, his average continued to dip and his strikeouts increased. After a productive season in 2006, including a career- high 129 RBIs, in 2007 Jones had his weakest season to that point, batting just .222. During his time with Atlanta, Jones became one of the youngest players in MLB history to reach 300 career home runs.
After the 2007 season, Jones signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent to a two-year deal, worth $36.2 million. However, Jones struggled with the Dodgers, batting just .158 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. Shortly after the season, Jones was released. Jones concluded his MLB career with brief stints for the Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees, transitioning from a center fielder to designated hitter and a fourth outfielder role. While with the White Sox, Jones hit his 400th career home run.
Andruw Jones Net Worth is $50 Million
Net Worth: $50 Million
Date of Birth: Apr 23, 1977 (46 years old)
Place of Birth: Willemstad
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft (1.85 m)
Profession: Baseball player
Nationality: Netherlands
Early life
Jones was born on April 23, 1977, in the capital city of Willemstad on the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao. By the age of 11, Jones was on a youth select team that traveled all the way to Japan to play in a tournament. He could handle any position on the field, but because of his powerful arm, Jones often found himself at catcher or third base. He switched to the outfield a couple of years later.
Early professional career
Jones signed with the Atlanta Braves organization as a free agent in 1993 at the age of 16. Jones was promoted to Danville of the Appalachian League after only 27 games with the Braves farm team in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jones played for Class-A Macon in 1995. In his first at bat, he belted a homer. He finished the season with 25 home runs and 100 runs batted in. Jones also led the South Atlantic League with 56 steals. His outstanding season was capped off when he was named Minor League Player of the Year.
MLB Career
Two years later after being promoted to the Class-A Macon squad in the Minor Leagues, Andruw Jones ended the season with Minor League Player of the Year honors. He began playing in the Major Leagues with the Braves in 1995, and became the youngest player to ever hit a home run in the World Series when he hit home runs in his first two at-bats against the Yankees in Game 1 at the age of 19 years and 180 days old. He went on to become a five-time All-Star (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner (1998-2007) and was the MLB home run leader and NL RBI leader in 2005 winning the Silver Slugger Award and NL Hank Aaron Award.
In December 2012, Jones agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million contract to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League. He was named a 2013 All-Star and became a Japan Series champion. He attempted MLB comebacks in 2015 and 2016 before deciding to retire from baseball in February 2016. He was later hired as a special assistant in the Braves organization. His No. 25 was retired by the team, and he was inducted as a member of the Braves Hall of Fame.
Jones ended his MLB career with a batting average of .254 to go along with 434 home runs and 1,289 runs batted in.
Contracts & Career Earnings
In 2002, Jones signed a six-year, $75 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. In 2008 as a free agent, he signed a two-year, $36.2 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Over his 16-year MLB career, Andruw Jones earned more than $126.6 million in salary alone.
Personal Life
Andruw Jones married Nicole Derick, and the couple had two children together: a son, Druw, and a daughter, Madison. Druw was the top prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft and was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks second overall.
Early morning on Christmas Day in 2012, Jones was arrested for battery after a domestic disturbance situation between he and his wife, Nicole, in suburban Atlanta. He was released on $2,400 bond late that morning, and his wife filed for divorce in January 2013. She later withdrew the action for divorce and the couple reconciled, but Jones eventually pleaded guilty and was placed on probation and paid a fine.
Andruw Jones Earnings
- New York Yankees (2012-13)$2 Million
- New York Yankees (2011-12)$1.5 Million
- Chicago White Sox (2010-11)$500 Thousand
- Texas Rangers (2009-10)$500 Thousand
- Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-09)$14.7 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2007-08)$14 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2006-07)$13.5 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2005-06)$13 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2004-05)$12.5 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2003-04)$12 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2002-03)$10 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2001-02)$8.2 Million
- Atlanta Braves (2000-01)$3.7 Million
- Atlanta Braves (1999-00)$330 Thousand
- Atlanta Braves (1998-99)$215 Thousand
- Atlanta Braves (1997-98)$152.5 Thousand
- Atlanta Braves (1996-97)$109 Thousand
- Total Earnings$106.9 Million
