Last Updated: November 5th, 2026 by Matthew Brown
The great Tom Glavine was a one-of-a-kind left-handed pitcher. Yes, there were southpaws who threw harder, had more spin on their breaking balls, and struck out more batters. But no lefty had quite the control, the strategy, and the consistent success that Glavine had in his 22-year career.
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Let's go through a bunch of his best moments and illustrate what made him so great.
20. From 7-17 to 20-11 and a World Series (1991)
Before Glavine could become well-known in the pantheon of baseball, he had to go through his early-career struggles. He went 7-17 in 1988 as a young rotation arm for the Atlanta Braves.
The franchise was a ways away from becoming the division-winning juggernaut that we all remember them being for most of Glavine's career. This was all a part of the process in making an all-time great.
19. Three Straight Years of 20 Wins
Once the Braves improved their roster, Tom Glavine was also an improved pitcher. He was a 20-game winner for three seasons in a row. That would be the start of his dominant stretch of elite seasons.
He became a household name very quickly, and the Braves soon boasted the greatest rotation the game has ever seen.
18. Winning 20 again (1998)
Wins defined a big part of Glavine's career. As the Atlanta Braves continued their winning ways, dominating the 1990s, so did Tom Glavine. He had another 20-win season in 1998, showing that he wouldn't be slowing down heading towards the turn of the century.
There have been many pitchers who would see their success take a dip as they get older, but Glavine showed that he would have sustained success in an extended prime.
17. Another 21-win Season (2000)
The year 2000 saw a 34-year-old Tom Glavine dominate once again, winning an MLB-leading 21 games and leading in games started. This would be his final 20-win season and his final time leading the league in wins. Glavine was able to do so an impressive five times in his career.
16. Two Cy Young Awards Nearly A Decade Apart
As Glavine started his stretch of dominance in 1991 with a Cy Young season, it's probably even more impressive that he was able to sustain his excellence to the point of winning his second Cy Young seven years later. Not many pitchers can say that they were able to do the same.
15. 10 All-Star Selections
The All-Star Game has always been about early-season performances. Yes, players who have awesome starts to seasons but falter down the stretch could get the recognition of an All-Star if they were chosen at the time. However, to get into the double digits in All-Star selections means that consistency is part of your legacy, and that's how these 10 midsummer honors define Tom Glavine.
14. Coming Back Strong After the Players’ Strike (1995)
I think the one team to really benefit from the strike that happened midway through the 1990s was the Atlanta Braves. Their talent was just too much to handle for the rest of the league, and Glavine was part of that collection of talent. He would eventually lead them to a World Series championship in that season.
13. Joining the 300-Win Club
I know we've been talking about Glavine in Atlanta for most of this article, but we have to also highlight his time in Queens. The reason being, he was able to notch his 300th career win while on the New York Mets. He is one of the most recent to do so, as the feat seems to be more and more impossible for current pitchers to accomplish.
12. He Led The League In Games Started Six Times
The best ability is availability, and Tom Glavine was available for most of his career. Sometimes, that's simply the reason why he was so trusted for so long. Even though he had his ups and downs throughout his career, his ability to weather any storm earned him the respect he got from every teammate he ever played with.
11. He Struck Tony Gwynn Out Twice
For as legendary as that Atlanta Braves pitching staff was, the other two pitchers in the trio had a very hard time with one man. Tony Gwynn. Tom Glavine was the only one able to do the impossible and strike Gwynn out multiple times.
You have to assume that the lefty-lefty matchup had something to do with Glavine's advantage, which only further confirms his importance to the pitching staff.
10. He Stepped It Up Against the Indians In the World Series
We mentioned how he was able to lead the Braves to their 1995 World Series title, but we didn't exactly go over what happened in that World Series. Glavine dominated, winning two games and giving up two runs in 14 innings combined. That was enough to earn the World Series MVP that year and add to his trophy cabinet.
9. He Could Hit, Too
One of my fondest memories of visiting New York for the first time was getting to watch Tom Glavine pitch for the New York Mets. He wasn't as dominant as he used to be, but he was still effective. He also basically won the game by himself, being the difference offensively with a 2-RBI single in an eventual 3-2 finish.
8. The Opening Day Magic That Never Got Old
Think of this. Tom Glavine shared rotations with Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and even Pedro Martinez. However, it was Glavine whom managers turned to on Opening Day.
He pitched the first game of the season a whopping eleven times.
For some aces, it was expected. For Glavine, it was the ultimate sign of respect and trust to choose him instead of the other all-time greats.
7. A Steady Postseason Presence
Tom Glavine was consistent throughout his career, and that expanded into the postseason. There are some regular season legends who have faded when it comes to the playoffs, but Glavine wasn't one of them.
He maintained a very solid 3.30 ERA, which is better than his 3.54 career ERA in the regular season. That means a point could be made that Glavine even turned it up a notch when the lights were brightest.
6. That One-Hitter Against the Colorado Rockies (2004)
The one accomplishment that Glavine never could quite seem to get was the no-hitter. This performance was probably his closest bid. He was even past his prime as he donned the white Mets jersey in this game.
Whipping up a one-hit gem like this towards the end of his career only furthers his legend.
5. Withstanding the New York Media Heat
One thing that he had to learn as a Met was how to deal with the tough New York media scene. Sports reporters, commentators, and general noise contribute to the roughest sports media scene in the United States.
Even if he was older, the expectations were high for a future Hall of Famer in Tom Glavine. He was still able to handle it well and deliver some solid seasons for the Mets.
4. One of the Best at Bending But Not Breaking
I think one thing you'll notice when looking at Glavine's stat page is that he never won an ERA title. To add to that, he never led the league in strikeouts either. That's just his style.
He was a master of getting out of trouble even when the opposing teams were giving him their best.
Being aware of the situations he was in and mitigating damage was his specialty, and he may have been one of the best to ever do so.
3. He Was Always Able to Adapt As the Game Went On
To continue on that bend-don't-break point, Glavine found ways to get batters out at a strong rate throughout every game. He was never phased by the third time through a batting order because he was ready to give them something they hadn't seen that day. That's the mark of a great pitcher, and Glavine made it his calling card.
2. He Had Exceptional Control
Like his rotation-mate Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine was known for his impeccable control. He fooled hitters with his pitch selection and pitch location. The thing about that is he still had to execute the pitch to make it effective.
That's what separates him from just very good pitchers. Glavine had such pinpoint control that even umpires had to assume he was throwing a strike even when he wasn't.
1. Hello Cooperstown
Cooperstown was a matter of "when" and not "if". It's just so cool to know that he was inducted alongside his longtime teammate, Greg Maddux. In a way, that might be one of the strongest Hall of Fame classes in history.
So here's to Tom Glavine on an amazing Hall of Fame career and a legacy that will live on forever.
