Bob Horner, a slugging third baseman for the Atlanta Braves who once hit four home runs in a game, has died, the team announced on Tuesday. He was 68.
Horner, who was the Braves’ No. 1 pick (and No. 1 overall) in MLB’s amateur draft in 1968, gave Atlanta some punch in the middle of its lineup. The former Arizona State University star teamed with Dale Murphy to win an N.L. West division title in 1982.
On July 6, 1986, Horner homered four times against Montreal. Horner connected three times against Expos starter Andy McGaffigan at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. He later added a two-run home run in the ninth inning.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 26, 2026
Horner played 10 seasons in the majors, and spent his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988. He played in Japan during the 1987 season.
He hit 25 or more home runs in a season five times according to Baseball-Reference.com. His best season was 1982, when he hit 32 homers, drove in a career-high 97 runs and was named to an all-star team for the only time in his career. The Braves won the N.L. West to reach the postseason for the first time since 1969, when MLB introduced the playoff format.
We are saddened by the passing of former Braves third baseman Bob Horner.
— MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2026
The first overall pick in the 1978 MLB Draft, Horner made the jump straight to the Majors without playing a single day in the Minors.
Just ten days after being drafted, Horner made his MLB debut and… pic.twitter.com/bTGCupQWDA
Although he was limited by injuries, Horner still managed a career .277 mark with 218 home runs and 685 RBI. He was the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1978 after hitting 23 homers and driving in 63 runs.
Horner was a standout at Arizona State before the Braves took him in the draft. He was in the Braves starting lineup less than two weeks later, MLB.com reported.
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