Chipper Jones Settles Braves Big 3 Debate of Which Braves Pitcher Was Most Clutch

For years, the debate has followed the Atlanta Braves’ dynasty: among Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, who was the true big-moment pitcher? When addressing this question, who better to look back at the powerful decade of Braves baseball than Hall of Fame, MVP-winning third baseman Chipper Jones?

The Braves of the 1990s and early 2000s featured the greatest trio of pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball. The “Big Three” of John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine dominated the 90s, winning seven of the possible eight Cy Young Awards from 1991 to 1998. All three pitchers pocketed one of the league’s highest honors for a pitcher, and the trio anchored what was the most dominant stretch of regular-season winning in professional sports.

From 1991 to 2004, the Braves won 14 consecutive division titles and five National League Pennants, capped off by a World Series victory in 1995.

All three have reached the Hall of Fame, but many have considered Maddux to be the kingpin of the trio. ‘Mad Professor’ won four Cy Young Awards, and he is widely considered to be one of the most dominant pitchers of all time.

As far as who might be considered the best ‘big game pitcher’ of that group could be another member of that elite staff, according to one Braves legend.

Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones addressed the matter of who the best ‘big game’ pitcher of the three was in a recent podcast appearance.

“The guys who can limit damage with the swing and the miss and the strikeout, those are the guys that win in the postseason,” Jones said. “It’s colder. It’s harder to get out in front of 95 to 100, and Smoltzie (John Smoltz) had the wipeout slider and the split, man. He was overpowering. It’s really no surprise to me because he was the only one of the big three who really had the swing and miss ability.

“We’ve seen it year after year after year that the teams that can strike the most people out – guy on third, less than two outs, [and] gotta have a strikeout, you know? No matter how they get the third out, you've got to have a strikeout with a guy on third.”

To Chipper, swing-and-miss ability mattered more than anything. He went on to clarify that Glavine and Maddux weren’t “just as good,” but that they just had more losses. It is important to note that Smotlz, speaking to his clutch ability, was placed into the closer role. After a Tommy John surgery in 2000, he transferred into that slot and led the NL in saves by 2002 (55).

Over his four years as a closer, Smoltz took over the position and put together an impressive 154 saves. His elite fastball and slider miffed batters and put the bow on his Hall of Fame career.

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The difference between the pitchers, according to Chipper, was that when the other two were on the mound, they had to play infield-in when there was a runner on third and less than two outs. Those two were ‘ball in play’ pitchers, as opposed to Smoltz, who was a true strikeout pitcher.

“It’s nice to have that guy who you know is going to go out and strike out 10 or 12 guys out of the 27,” Chipper finished. “It’s been proven time and again for the last, you know, 30 or 40 years [that it makes a difference].”

No matter who it was on the mound, Atlanta was blessed with a wealth of pitching excellence.

The dynasty was built on precision, consistency, and Hall of Fame acumen, and all three aces played indispensable roles. But for the teammate who stood behind them for more than a decade, the separation came in the biggest moments. When the stakes were highest, and one pitch could change everything, Jones trusted Smoltz to make it.