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Major League Baseball is in a great situation right now and World Series champion John Smoltz says the sport can’t afford a work stoppage.
The agreement between MLB and the MLBPA is set to expire at the end of the season, setting the stage for what appears to be a lengthy and contentious period of negotiations over the winter. Smoltz said this head-on collision has been happening for a long time and both sides can’t afford to get it wrong.
“We know that if they can’t fix this, baseball will suffer. They can’t afford a shutdown with all the good that’s been done and all the great games played lately with the World Series,” Smoltz told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
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Hall of Famer John Smoltz is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY on July 27, 2025. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)
MLB is pushing for a salary cap to be implemented, while the MLBPA is vehemently opposing it. Smoltz acknowledges there is an issue of competitive balance and disparity, but believes much of the spending was done on purpose.
“There’s a competition problem in baseball and a disparity that’s greater than ever, and I think a lot of it is intentional to get to this point where the Dodgers are spending beyond belief and the Mets are spending beyond belief. Until recently, there was no guarantee of a championship,” Smoltz said.
“The Dodgers were back-to-back champions for the first time since the Yankees. That’s the thing about 162 games. You basically have eight to 10 teams that aren’t trying to win at all.”
The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees won three consecutive championships from 1998 to 2000. The Baseball Hall of Fame said it questions the idea that an entirely new system will automatically solve current problems.
WORLD SERIES CHAMPION JOHN SMOLTZ WARNS BASEBALL ‘SUFFER’ IF ABS SYSTEM IS APPLIED TO ALL FIELDS
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz pitches against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, May 14, 2007. (James Lang/USA TODAY Sports)
“There’s a disparity within baseball that a system claims it’s going to fix. I question that. Until you have teams and owners who want to put the best possible product on the field in their market, it’s hard for me to be able to tell someone what they can and can’t spend in a free market world,” Smoltz said.
“However, it’s a monopoly, right? It’s a rust remover. There’s definitely a separate system for Major League Baseball.”
Smoltz pointed out that the game has become younger and because of that, 2% of players earn 98% of the money. He said careers are getting shorter, pushing veterans out of the game.
The Atlanta Braves legend also noted that a salary cap has not translated into a competitive environment in other professional sports leagues.
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John Smoltz watches his shot from the eighth tee during the first round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida on January 29, 2026. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
“Because if you look at all the other sports and what they’ve tried to do, you can argue that you know the salary caps in other sports haven’t exactly produced a competitive environment where most teams have a chance,” Smoltz said.
“It’s actually been one of the super teams in the NBA for a very long time.”
MLB and the MLBPA first exchanged formal proposals in late May and, as expected, the two sides are far apart. The MLBPA first offered a proposal, and MLB countered with a salary cap and a salary floor, and no formal proposal has been made since.
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John Smoltz tees off during the Capital One MLB Open at Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas, Nevada on November 14, 2025. (Lucas Peltier/MLB photos via Getty Images)
Major League Baseball said in an announcement last month that viewership for exclusive national games was up 44% from last season, and the best in the last nine seasons. Whatever the solution for MLB and the MLBPA, Smoltz just wants something fixed so baseball can continue its momentum.
The eight-time All-Star spent 21 seasons in the big leagues, including 20 with the Braves. He spent his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
Smoltz has a career record of 213-155, a 3.33 ERA and 154 saves, as he converted to a reliever for a few seasons after his Tommy John surgery. He is competing in the American Century Championship, which will be played July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
