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As a teenager, Andruw Jones made a tremendous impression in his first postseason.

In the '96 World Series, the Braves' center fielder hit two home runs and batted .400 as a 19-year-old (the Braves lost to the Yankees). He also hit a home run in the NLCS against the Cardinals.

When you perform on baseball's biggest stage, the expectations of fans are heightened. And while Jones, 28, has had a solid career, some expected him to be better at the plate. It's true that he's averaged 30.6 home runs in his eight full seasons (he debuted in August '96). However, he had a .268 career average heading into this season. He's hit .300 just once (.303 in 2000), and people have expected more from him offensively.

This season, Jones is leading the majors with 24 home runs (his career high is 36). In the absence of the injured Chipper Jones, who has missed nearly 30 games, Andruw has carried the Braves as they aim for their 14th straight division title. Atlanta leads the NL wild-card race but trails the Washington Nationals in the AL East by 2½ games.

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