Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets
The dominant pitching trio that led the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series championship.
The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.
- league
- National League
- division
- NL East
- first_meeting_era
- 1962 (Mets inaugural season)
- key_playoff_series
- 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s
- notable_stadiums
- Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, Veterans Stadium, Citizens Bank Park; Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium, Citi Field
Lore & Background
The Big Three combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s 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.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Shea Stadium was thick with humidity and tension as the seventh inning unfolded in October. A sea of blue jerseys from both New York and Philadelphia filled the stands, a visual testament to the deep-seated animosity between the two cities. As the Mets pitcher wound up, the roar of the crowd seemed to vibrate through the concrete bleachers, every fan knowing that this single pitch could define the season's legacy for one franchise while shattering it for the other.
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?
- Greg Maddux won four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards from 1992 to 1995.
- 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.
- The Big Three combined for seven Cy Young Awards in the 1990s.
More in Great Rivalries & Feuds
Elsewhere in the Atlanta Braves universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record