John Smoltz is a legend, especially in the eyes of Atlanta Braves fans, but the Hall of Famer did not hesitate in saying that the New York Mets are “the team to beat” in the National League during a recent appearance on the FLippin' Bats Podcast. That is despite the roll the Braves are having of late.

Smoltz did acknowledge the kind of scorching hot stretch the Braves are on, but he also cautioned about being too excited over the team's recent string of victories, saying that baseball has a way of turning teams on its head in an instant. At the time of his guesting on the said podcast, the Braves had a six-game win streak going. That is now up to seven games after the Braves beat the Oakland Athletics Wednesday night on the road, 7-3.

For Smoltz, the schedule will play a big role in determining who between the Braves and Mets will come out on top when it is all said and done in the regular season. He noted that the Mets have a favorable schedule ahead, while Atlanta has two more series on the West coast waiting after dealing with the A's. The Braves will play the Seattle Mariners for a series at T-Mobile Park and the San Francisco Giants right after that at Oracle Arena.

The Braves will have a three-game series with the Mets late in the season that begins on Sep. 30 — a matchup that could very well determine the winner of the division.