Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets

Lore & Background

The Big Three combined to win six National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s (Maddux 1992-1995, Glavine 1991 and 1998, Smoltz 1996) and helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Each member of the Big Three has had their jersey number retired by the Atlanta Braves and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Reader's Guide

Tom Glavine made his Major League debut on August 17, 1987, while John Smoltz made his Major League debut on July 23, 1988. At that time, Greg Maddux was playing with the Chicago Cubs. Both Smoltz and Glavine quickly established themselves as viable starting pitchers for the Braves by 1990. Their dominance begun in 1991 as Tom Glavine had a NL-leading 20 wins, winning his first Cy Young Award.

Prior to the 1993 MLB season, the Atlanta Braves signed Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs, marking the beginning of the Big Three era. The Big Three helped the Braves win the National League West for the third consecutive season in 1993. In 1995, the Braves won the World Series. The trio had another strong season in 1996, with Smoltz winning the National League Cy Young Award.

Over the next two years, the Big Three continued to perform well, with Maddux finishing second in Cy Young voting in 1997 and Glavine capturing his second Cy Young Award in 1998. The group still led the Braves to a National League pennant in 1999.

Did You Know?

• Tom Glavine won the 1995 World Series MVP after allowing just four hits and two runs in fourteen innings pitched.
• John Smoltz was named NLCS MVP in 1992 after pitching 20.1 innings and going 2–0.