More than 60 former Atlanta Braves players and coaches are streaming back into Truist Park this weekend for the team's annual Alumni Weekend, a two-day mix of autograph lines, a free public parade and a brand-new co-ed home run derby making its debut on the field where many of them once played. The event runs Friday and Saturday, with Friday's autograph sessions kicking off at 5:30 p.m. and continuing into the evening ahead of the Braves' 7:15 p.m. game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The expected roster for the weekend reads like a highlight reel of Braves history, including Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Dale Murphy, Tim Hudson, Brian McCann, Terry Pendleton, Julio Franco, Andrés Galarraga, Leo Mazzone and current manager Brian Snitker, according to WSB-TV. Fans with game tickets can catch the alumni on a first-come, first-served basis for autographs, though former players will only sign items provided by the team and won't be signing personal items, photos or repeat items. Anyone hoping to plan their route through the ballpark can pull up event maps, schedules and real-time roster updates on the MLB Ballpark app, which posts specific autograph locations and player rosters at 3:30 p.m. Friday, or check the gameday playbills handed out at stadium entrances.
Andruw Jones Headlines a Homecoming Months After Cooperstown
For Andruw Jones, this weekend is another chapter in a summer that already included a stadium victory lap. The 10-time Gold Glove winner returned to Truist Park in late July for a celebration tied to his formal induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a milestone Hoodline covered in detail after his bobblehead tribute and pregame celebration. That homecoming now feeds directly into his role this weekend as a team captain in the ballpark's newest attraction.
All of the alumni will get their moment together during a red carpet roll call in centerfield at 6:50 p.m. Friday, when Atlanta Braves alumni are formally introduced to the crowd. The Braves organization traces its roots back to the 1871 Boston Red Stockings before relocating to Atlanta in 1966, making it the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball history, according to Atlanta Braves Holdings. That depth of history helps explain why the club can fill a roster of more than 60 returning names for a single weekend.
MLBx Atlanta Debuts as a Co-Ed Power-Hitting Showcase
The weekend's biggest format experiment arrives Saturday at 5:30 p.m., when the inaugural MLBx Atlanta competition takes over Truist Park. Four three-player teams, each captained by a Braves alumnus, will compete in two home run derby rounds followed by a final swing-off. The four captains are Andruw Jones, Brian Jordan, Kevin Pillar and Charlie Culberson, according to MLB.com.
Each captain is paired with a star from the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and a collegiate player from Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia, blending professional baseball, elite softball and local college talent on the same rosters. The softball contingent includes 2026 All-AUSL selections Megan Grant and Sydney Romero alongside Bri Ellis, the league's 2026 Comeback Player of the Year, per the same MLB.com release. Under MLBx rules, each player gets a 90-second at-bat while the opposing team plays defense, scoring points for home runs, defensive catches and bonus targets, with a five-swing “Hot Streak” option that doubles point values.
Free Parade Down Battery Avenue Opens Saturday's Festivities
Saturday's schedule opens well before the derby, with the Braves Legends Parade kicking things off at 4 p.m. The parade route starts outside Silverspot Cinema near Cobb Parkway and Battery Avenue and proceeds down Battery Avenue to the third base gate at The Battery Atlanta. Unlike the stadium's ticketed activities, the parade is free to attend and open to the public without a game ticket, though organizers note that space along the route is limited and no autographs will be permitted during the procession.
The parade and broader Alumni Weekend are produced through the Braves' recurring sponsorship partnership with Your Local Ford Dealer, which backs both the stadium activities and the public parade. Saturday's on-field action wraps with the Braves facing the Diamondbacks again at 7:15 p.m., giving fans a full day that runs from the free parade through the derby debut and into a regular-season matchup.
A Weekend That Also Feeds Cobb County's Commercial Engine
Beyond the nostalgia, Alumni Weekend fits into a larger commercial picture for the Cumberland area surrounding Truist Park. The Battery Atlanta development sits inside Cobb County's Cumberland Community Improvement District, a district home to more than 30,000 residents that contributes nearly $27 billion annually to the Georgia state economy, according to Bisnow. Atlanta Braves Holdings has reported that its real estate portfolio at The Battery generated $38.2 million in positive Adjusted OIBDA over the first six months of 2026, revenue that helps offset seasonal costs from the baseball operation itself.
Truist Park, which opened in 2017 as a $622 million public-private project backed in part by $397 million in Cobb County bond financing, has drawn strong crowds since the move from downtown Atlanta. The ballpark maintained average filled capacity between 91% and 96% from 2022 through 2024, a run of sustained demand that promotional weekends like this one are designed to keep going. Fans looking for full details on both days can find the schedule at braves.com/alumniweekend.
