The Atlanta Braves own the best record in Major League Baseball, but one franchise icon still believes the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the team to beat in the National League.
Despite Atlanta’s dramatic turnaround and dominant start to the season, the Hall of Fame pitcher sees one advantage that keeps Los Angeles slightly ahead of the field.
John Smoltz Still Gives Edge to Dodgers
GettyHall of Fame pitcher and former Braves star John Smoltz believes Atlanta is a legitimate National League contender but still gives the Los Angeles Dodgers a slight edge because of their roster depth.
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz spent 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, winning 213 games and a Cy Young Award. Now a Fox Sports analyst, he still tracks his old team closely and what he sees in Atlanta this June is striking: a 40-20 record, tops in all of baseball.
Chris Sale has anchored the starting rotation with a 1.89 ERA and seven wins, while Bryce Elder has rebounded from a 5.30 ERA in 2025 to post a 2.50 mark this season. Smoltz traces the turnaround to one factor above all others.
“It’s all health,” Smoltz told journalist DJ Siddiqi in an interview published Tuesday by Casino.org. “Their ability to stay healthy is going to be how they navigate the National League, which is loaded with teams. If they can keep their pitching staff healthy, they’re going to be right there and can beat anybody.”
A year ago, Atlanta stumbled to a 0-9 start and finished 76-86. The swing to 40 wins in their first 60 games is one of the more dramatic single-season reversals in recent seasons.
Smoltz acknowledged the Braves have what it takes to topple the defending back-to-back champions. But the Hall of Famer handed Los Angeles his prediction anyway, albeit with caveats.
“There’s a lot of dangerous teams in the National League,” Smoltz told Siddiqi. “The Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies. San Diego’s got one of the best bullpens ever. I kind of give a nod to the Dodgers based on their roster. But it’s still up in the air based on all the other components.”
The Dodgers sit at 38-22, with the best run differential in baseball at plus-126. Their expected win-loss of 43-17 suggests Los Angeles has run into more than its share of bad breaks in close games, according to an analysis by FanSided.
Dodgers Injury Situation Tests Roster Depth
What makes the Dodgers’ standing more notable, and perhaps, tenuous, is the state of their pitching staff. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both out, with Glasnow not yet past playing catch in his rehab, placing his return no earlier than late June, according to DodgersBeat. Edwin Diaz, Brock Stewart, Ben Casparius, and Bobby Miller are also on the injured list.
The weekend brought another blow. Reliever Brusdar Graterol, working back from a shoulder injury on a minor league rehab assignment, underwent back surgery after a fresh setback disrupted his recovery, Yahoo Sports reported. His 2026 return is now in doubt. The hard-throwing right-hander owns a 2.78 career ERA and was a key piece of both Los Angeles World Series runs.
The bullpen has held together despite the losses. Tanner Scott has closed effectively in Diaz’s absence, and six different Dodgers relievers have collected saves. Evan Phillips, 31, is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery, expected to begin a rehab assignment after facing live hitters in Arizona.
Whether Smoltz’s prediction proves correct may depend on which contender can survive the summer healthiest.
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