| 1998 Atlanta Braves | ||
|---|---|---|
| National League East Champions | ||
| League | National League | |
| Division | East | |
| Ballpark | Turner Field | |
| City | Atlanta | |
| Record | 106–56 (.654) | |
| Divisional place | 1st | |
| Owners | Time Warner | |
| General managers | John Schuerholz | |
| Managers | Bobby Cox | |
| Television | WTBS TBS Superstation (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) Fox Sports South (Ernie Johnson, Bob Rathbun) | |
| Radio | WSB (AM) (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) | |
| ||
The 1998 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 33rd season in Atlanta and 128th overall. The Braves entered the season as defending National League runner ups. They went on to win their fourth consecutive division title, taking the National League East title by 18 games over the second place New York Mets.
The team featured six all stars: shortstop Walt Weiss and third baseman Chipper Jones were voted as starters, while first baseman Andrés Galarraga, catcher Javy López, and pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were selected as reserves. Jones and Lopez each hit over 30 home runs as Galarraga (acquired from Colorado) led the club in home runs and RBI. Galarraga finished as an MVP candidate.
The 1998 Braves beat the Chicago Cubs three games to none in the National League Division Series. In the next round Atlanta then lost to the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series four games to two. Despite winning two games after losing the first three, Atlanta's comeback bid came short by being eliminated in Game 6. San Diego's winning over Atlanta was seen as one of the biggest upsets in postseason history. The Braves failed to go to their fifth World Series of the 1990s.
The 1998 Atlanta Braves are seen as one of the greatest Major League Baseball teams of all time, despite not winning a title. ESPN writer David Schoenfield lists them as one of the top teams in MLB history to not win a World Series.[1] The team's greatness and their surprising playoff defeat are memorialized by Morgan Wallen in his 2023 hit, "98 Braves."[2]
ESPN columnist Jeff Merron also writes that the pitching staff of Maddux, Glavine, John Smoltz, Denny Neagle, and Kevin Millwood was the greatest of all time.[3] The quintet posted a cumulative 2.97 ERA and amassed 88 wins (almost 18 wins per starter), equaling the win total of the 2nd place Mets. The 1998 Braves are the only team in MLB history to have five pitchers each strike out 150 batters in the same season.[4] Glavine, the lone 20 game winner in the National League for that year, won the Cy Young Award.