Who Are the Five Greatest Pitchers in Atlanta Braves History?
The Atlanta Braves have a rich history of putting forth top notch pitchers. Many of the top pitchers within this franchise are members of the 300 win and 3,000 strikeout clubs. Below is a list of the top five pitchers in Braves history (not the overall body of work). All five could arguably be listed on the list of top 100 pitchers of all-time.
1.Warren Spahn (1942, 1946-1964) is number one in a number of categories:
Innings Pitched: 5,046
Wins: 356
Shutouts: 63
Games Started: 635
Cy Young Awards: 1
Warren Spahn Award: Named after Spahn for the major leagues best left handed pitcher
2.Phil Niekro (1964-1983, 1987) “Knucksie”
Wins: 268
Strikeouts: 2,912
Shutouts: 44
3.John Smoltz (1988-2008)
Wins: 210
Saves: 154
Strikeouts: 3,011
4.Tom Glavine (1987-2002, 2008)
Innings Pitched: 3,408
Wins: 244
Shutouts: 25
Complete Games: 56
5.Greg Maddux (1993-2003) “The Professor”
Wins: 194
Strikeouts: 1,828
ERA: 2.63
Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux were the top three starters on the incredible rotation of the 1990′s that won numerous division championships, league championships, and one World Series.