Pitcher, Atlanta Braves
Age: 29 (May 15)
9th season
with Braves
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’3” Weight: 210
Prior to 1996:
A Michigan
native, Smoltz developed into a star pitcher at Lansing’s Waverly High School
and participated in the 1985 Junior Olympics. Intending to attend Michigan
State, he was a low-round selection of the Detroit Tigers in the 1985 amateur
draft. Signing with the Tigers immediately prior to the college school year, he
was initially assigned to Lakeland of the Class A Florida State League in 1986
where he went 7-8 with a 3.56 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched. With
Glens Falls of the Class AA Eastern League in 1987 he posted a 4-10 mark with a
5.68 ERA and 86 strikeouts, as well as 81 walks, over 130 innings. In August he
was traded to the Braves as part of the deal that brought RHP Doyle Alexander
to Detroit. Finishing the season with Richmond of the Class AAA International
League, where he began receiving instruction from minor league pitching coach
Leo Mazzone (who would go on to become his major league pitching coach), who
was impressed with Smoltz’s mechanics. A hard, if not always accurate, thrower,
he developed his curve and slider under Mazzone’s tutelage. With Richmond in
1988, he was 10-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 115 strikeouts when he was called up to
the Braves in July. As one of seven rookies to pitch for the rebuilding Braves
that year, he posted a 2-7 record with a 5.48 ERA. As part of a promising young
pitching staff in 1989, Smoltz was an All-Star for the first time on his way to
a 12-11 tally with a 2.94 ERA and 168 strikeouts. Atlanta was still a
last-place club in 1990 as Smoltz went 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA and 170
strikeouts. In 1991 the Braves went from worst to first in the NL West and
Smoltz overcame a poor first half to contribute a 14-13 record with a 3.80 ERA
and 148 strikeouts. His shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh game
of the NLCS sent Atlanta to the World Series against Minnesota. Smoltz again
started the seventh game but, although he pitched well, RHP Jack Morris of the
Twins won in ten innings. As part of a starting rotation that included LHPs Tom
Glavine, Steve Avery, and Charlie Leibrandt, as well as RHPs Mike Bielecki and
Pete Smith, Smoltz and the Braves again topped the division in 1992 on the way
to another pennant. He contributed a 15-12 mark with a 2.85 ERA and
league-leading 215 strikeouts. He again beat Pittsburgh twice in the NLCS and
was named series MVP and had a win in the World Series vs. Toronto, ultimately
won by the Blue Jays. RHP Greg Maddux joined Atlanta in 1993, giving the Braves
an extremely potent rotation. They again topped the NL West and Smoltz went
15-11 with a 3.62 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The club was defeated by the Phillies
in the NLCS and Smoltz lost his lone start. 1994 was a down season for Smoltz,
who was shut down prior to the season-ending strike due to elbow surgery. His
record was 6-10 with a 4.14 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 134.2 innings.
Returning to action in 1995, he posted a 12-7 mark with a 3.18 ERA and 193
strikeouts. The Braves finished atop the NL East and Smoltz had no decisions in
three postseason starts while Atlanta achieved a World Series triumph over
Cleveland.
1996 Season Summary
Appeared in 35
games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 35
Games Started –
35 [2, tied with four others]
Complete Games
– 6 [2]
Wins – 24 [1]
Losses – 8
PCT - .750 [1]
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 2 [2,
tied with six others]
Innings Pitched
– 253.2 [1]
Hits – 199
Runs – 93
Earned Runs – 83
Home Runs – 19
Bases on Balls
– 55
Strikeouts – 276
[1]
ERA – 2.94 [4]
Hit Batters – 2
Balks – 1
Wild Pitches – 10
[8, tied with six others]
League-leading wins
were +6 ahead of runner-up Andy Benes
League-leading
win percentage was +.036 ahead of runner-up Ramon Martinez
League-leading innings
pitched were +8.2 ahead of runner-up Greg Maddux
League-leading
strikeouts were +42 ahead of runner-up Hideo Nomo
Midseason Snapshot: 14-4, ERA - 3.16, SO - 149 in 134 IP
---Most
strikeouts, game – 13 (in 8 IP) at San Diego 4/14, (in 9 IP) at Chi. Cubs 5/29,
(in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 9/7
10+ strikeout
games – 12
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 8 IP) at San Diego 4/14
Batting
PA – 98, AB – 78,
R – 3, H – 17, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 12, BB – 3, SO – 26, SB – 0, CS –
0, AVG - .218, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 15, SF – 1
Fielding
Chances – 55
Put Outs – 27
Assists – 27
Errors – 1
DP – 2
Pct. - .982
Postseason
Pitching: G – 5 (NLDS vs. LA Dodgers – 1 G; NLCS vs. St. Louis – 2 G; World
Series vs. NY Yankees – 2 G)
GS – 5, CG – 0,
Record – 4-1, PCT – .800, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 38, H – 22, R – 5, ER – 4, HR –
0, BB – 13, SO – 33, ERA – 0.95, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 2
Awards & Honors:
NL Cy Young
Award: BBWAA
NL Pitcher of
the Year: Sporting News
All-Star
(Starting P for NL)
11th
in NL MVP voting (33 points, 8% share)
NL Cy Young
voting (Top 5):
John Smoltz, Atl.:
136 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share
Kevin Brown,
Fla.: 88 pts. – 2 first place votes, 63% share
Andy Benes, StL.:
9 pts. – 6% share
Hideo Nomo, LAD:
5 pts. – 4% share
Trevor Hoffman,
SD: 4 pts. – 3% share
Greg Maddux,
Atl.: 4 pts. – 3% share
Todd Worrell,
LAD: 4 pts. – 3% share
Braves went 96-66
to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 8 games over the Montreal Expos. The
pitching staff led the league in complete games (14), strikeouts (1245), and
fewest walks (451). The Braves tarted fast and were 35-17, and 5 games up in
the NL East, by the end of May. Surviving a September slump in which they
suffered three three-game series sweeps, they finished strong against the Expos
to clinch the division on Sept. 22. Won NLDS over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3
games to 0. Won NLCS over the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3, overcoming a
3-1 deficit as Smoltz pitched 7 shutout innings in the critical Game 5 blowout win.
Lost World Series to the /New York Yankees, 4 games to 2, with Smoltz splitting
his two decisions.
Aftermath of ‘96:
Following his
1996 Cy Young season, Smoltz signed a four-year contract extension with the
Braves that averaged $7.75 million per year. He again led the NL in innings
pitched in 1997 with 256. He produced a 15-12 record with a 3.02 ERA and 241
strikeouts. Atlanta again finished first in the NL East but lost to the Florida
Marlins in the NLCS, in which Smoltz lost in his only start. Pitching in pain
for most of the season, he had surgery on his elbow in the offseason. Despite
two stints on the disabled list in 1998, “Smoltzie” still went 17-3 with a 2.90
ERA and 173 strikeouts. In 1999 he adjusted his delivery and had an 11-8 tally
with a 3.19 ERA while pitching 186.1 innings. Major elbow surgery in 2000 cost
Smoltz the entire season. He lasted five starts in 2001 before returning to the
DL. Shifted to the bullpen, he became the closer and recorded 10 saves. Accepting
a three-year, $30 million deal to return to Atlanta as the closer, Smoltz
topped the NL with 55 saves in 2002. More dominant in 2003, his ERA was 1.12
while his save total was 45 in 49 tries. After saving 44 games in 2004, he
returned to the rotation in 2005. Helped by his admirable conditioning and
off-field habits, Smoltz pitched 229.2 innings in ’05 and went 14-7 with a 3.06
ERA and 169 strikeouts. In 2006 he tied for the league lead in wins with his
16-9 record while his ERA was 3.49 and he struck out 211 batters. Smoltz
remained effective in 2007 with a 14-8 tally, 3.11 ERA, and 197 strikeouts. In
2008, shoulder pain that led to surgery in June limited Smoltz to six starts
and a 3-2 record. The Braves allowed him to depart as a free agent at age 41
and in uncertain physical condition. He signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2009
and pitched poorly until his release in August. Signed by the St. Louis
Cardinals, he finished out the year and was not invited to return in 2010, thus
concluding his career. In the major leagues, he compiled a 213-155 record with
a 3.33 ERA, 154 saves, and 3084 strikeouts in 3473 innings pitched. With the
Braves he went 210-147 with a 3.26 ERA, all 154 saves, and 3011 strikeouts in
3395 innings. Appearing in 41 postseason games, 27 as a starting pitcher, he
posted a 15-4 record with a 2.67 ERA, 4 saves, and 199 strikeouts over 209
innings. An eight-time All-Star, the Braves retired his #29 and he was inducted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, where he joined Greg Maddux and Tom
Glavine. Smoltz went into broadcasting following his playing career.
Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of
the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to
present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its
inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major
league.
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