Top 5 players to play for the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves

2 of 3

SAN DIEGO – 1987: Dale Murphy #3 of the Atlanta Braves throws the ball to the infield during a game against the San Diego Padres in 1987 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

As the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves resume their season series in Atlanta, we take a look at the shared history between the two franchises, including the top five players who have ever suited up for both teams.

Total Number of shared players: 74

Exclusively Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves players:

Shane Carle

Daniel Castro

Tyler Matzek

David Nied

Wes Parsons

Honorable Mentions:

Jhoulys Chacin

Marvin Freeman

Ron Gant

Jair Jurrjens

Jason Marquis

Kevin Millwood

Denny Neagle

Eric Young Jr.

Here are the top five players to play for both the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves

5. Dale Murphy

Dale Murphy is not on this list for his time on the Rockies. In fact, his time with the Rockies is arguably the most disheartening time in his career. However, Murphy is easily the best player to appear on this list in terms of pure skill.

Murphy is one of the greatest Atlanta Braves of all time, spending 17 seasons within the club’s umbrella. The Braves drafted Murphy fifth overall in the 1974 draft. He won two MVPs, five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and totaled seven All-Star appearances. Murphy was traded to the Phillies in 1990 and signed with the newly created Colorado Rockies in 1993. Murphy had seen his numbers regress since leaving Atlanta. In Colorado, they took a turn for the worst.

Murphy chose the dignity of retiring instead of being released, ending his career in the middle of the worst season of his career. Murphy has the distinction of being the first Colorado Rockies player to appear on a Hall of Fame ballot and he was also the first Rockies player to advance in the Hall of Fame ballot. He may not have been the greatest Rockies player of all time, but he is certainly one of the greatest players to wear a Rockies jersey, deserving the fifth spot on this list.

DENVER – SEPTEMBER 19: Pitcher Mike Hampton #10 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 19, 2001 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies won 8-2. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

4. Mike Hampton

Shohei Ohtani has taken the world by storm, but the early 2000s saw their own version of the hitting pitcher in two-time All-Star Mike Hampton. Now Ohtani is on a whole other level than him, but Hampton didn’t earn five Silver Sluggers for nothing.

Hampton signed with Colorado as a free agent for the 2001 season. He came to the Rockies after two dominant seasons with the Astros and the Mets. Hampton’s bat became even hotter with the Rockies, despite his pitching going south with the club. He was traded to the Braves in 2003 and, to everyone’s surprise, his bat remained hot, and his glove returned to form.

Hampton is yet another case that pitchers could use to try to avoid Coors Field in trades, as his numbers there were better before and after he left the Rockies. This is the second list Hampton has appeared on, so let’s move on to number 3.

3. Walt Weiss

This is the third list that Walt Weiss has appeared on. However, with the Atlanta Braves, Weiss saw his lone All-Star nod. Weiss was a defensive specialist for the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves, being an integral part of the Rockies 1995 Blake Street Bombers run and was involved in the postseason all three seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

He is also well known within both organizations for his coaching career. Weiss was the Colorado Rockies manager from 2013 to 2016 and has been the bench coach for the Braves since then.

Weiss has been deeply ingrained in these franchises since the 1990s. Of course, he gets at least number 3, but that doesn’t mean he can beat out some other Bombers, like our number two pick.

14 Jun 1997: First baseman Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies looks on during their game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Rockies won their interleague game 7-1. /

2. Vinny Castilla

Vinny Castilla is a Colorado Rockies legend. He was a two-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the Silver Slugger. He played three different stints with the Colorado Rockies across nine seasons. Castilla hit more than 30 home runs six times and went over 100 RBI on five occasions.

Of course, Castilla was one of the flagship Blake Street Bombers. He was the best player overall in the series against the Atlanta Braves in 1995, accumulating the monster 0.64 WPA to the Rockies ill-fated series.

It was fitting that Castilla was the best player in the series, as it was with the Atlanta Braves he got his start. Castilla was signed out of Mexico to the Atlanta Braves in 1990 and made his debut for the team the next season. Castilla was still developing when he was taken by the Rockies from the Braves in the 1992 Expansion Draft.

Castilla found his way back to the Braves for the 2002 season. Castilla was an important part of Braves’ postseason runs in 2002 and 2003, being the second-best player overall by WPA in the 2002 series despite losing the series against the Giants.

Castilla has remained part of the Colorado Rockies front office since his retirement after the 2006 season. He has remained one of the few universally liked parts of the front office.

Castilla was a legend. Very few Colorado Rockies can rank higher than him, so who is number one?

1. Andres Galarraga

Who else could top this list? Andres Galarraga was one of the most talented players to put on a Colorado Rockies uniform. This is actually the second list that Galarraga has topped, and it won’t be the last one he appears on. However, Atlanta is the non-Rockies team he did the best with. He appeared in two All-Star games for both the Braves and the Rockies, including a homecoming appearance in the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver the year he signed with the Braves, not unlike Nolan Arenado’s emotional homecoming in the 2021 All-Star Game.

Galarraga was a batting champion, two-time RBI champion, home run champion, hits and doubles leader in different seasons in his career. He hit 72 home runs and logged 221 RBI in his two seasons in Atlanta. In 1998, Galarraga recorded the highest OPS+ of his career at 157.

Galarraga was one leader of the Blake Street Bombers and helped launch the Braves into the NLCS in 1998, even being top 5 on the team in WAR for the season. He was one of the Colorado Rockies’ first superstars so, of course, he gets number one.

dark. Next. The top 5 players to play for the Rockies and Dodgers

Note: Data for this article was found using Baseball Reference and Wikipedia

Home / Colorado Rockies News