Bob Horner, the Atlanta Braves’ first overall pick from the 1978 MLB Draft and a National League Rookie of the Year and All-Star, died at 68. The Braves said his power-hitting rise began straight from college to the majors—before injuries forced him to retire
Bob Horner built his name on being first—first pick, first to go from college straight to the big leagues, first to do something no Braves player had done before. For a while, it was the kind of beginning that felt like it could not be slowed down.
Horner, who died at 68, spent nine of his 10 MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves announced his death on May 26.
“The Atlanta Braves extend sincere sympathies to his wife, Chris, two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his numerous friends and fans across the game,” the team said.
His story starts with the 1978 draft. Horner was the first overall pick after what the Braves called an “illustrious collegiate career” at Arizona State University. He helped lead the Sun Devils to three consecutive College World Series appearances and won a national championship in 1977.
Unlike many prospects who follow a path through the minors, Horner was promoted straight to the majors. The Braves said he was the first Braves draftee to skip the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the majors.
That jump came with numbers that were hard to ignore. Horner hit 23 home runs in 89 games to capture the National League Rookie of the Year Award. In 1982, he was named an NL All-Star.
Together with Dale Murphy, Horner formed one of baseball’s most feared power duos for nearly a decade. The Braves credited that combination with helping make them a constant threat during the years they dominated the lineup.
Horner’s power produced its own milestones. In 1986, he became the first Atlanta player to hit four home runs in a single game—against the Montreal Expos.
His swing didn’t just flash for stretches; it anchored an entire chapter of Braves baseball. Horner hit 215 of his 218 career home runs in Atlanta from 1978 to 1986.
After his Braves run, he spent the 1987 season in Japan with the Yakult Swallows. He returned to the majors in 1988, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Then came the injuries. Shoulder problems forced him to retire in spring training in 1989 with the Baltimore Orioles. The Braves said Horner lived a quiet life out of the public spotlight after he stepped away.
His early dominance also earned him a lasting place among college baseball legends. Horner was part of the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
The sequence of Horner’s career is as striking as it is heartbreaking: a rare. straight-to-the-majors rise that led to Rookie of the Year honors and All-Star recognition. followed by shoulder injuries that ended his run far earlier than the power he had already proven could have suggested. For fans who watched those Atlanta seasons. the memory remains—first overall. first in many ways. and then gone with the abrupt finality that sports sometimes refuses to explain.
Bob Horner Atlanta Braves National League Rookie of the Year NL All-Star 1978 MLB Draft Dale Murphy shoulder injuries Yakult Swallows St. Louis Cardinals Baltimore Orioles