With so much parity in the sport this year, is there a clear top club in Paul Molitor Jersey baseball right now? The Dodgers lead the majors in wins, the Phillies have held a comfortable division lead since May and the Yankees and Orioles have jockeyed for the top spot in the competitive American League East race all year. But Hall of Famer John Smoltz offered another potential answer. As part of our weekly conversation with the MLB analyst, Smoltz shared his thoughts on the best team in the sport, the player he'd build his franchise around right now, the division race he has his eye on, whether he thinks the Braves will hold onto the final wild-card spot and more. Kavner: If you were starting a franchise right now from scratch, what player would you choose to build around? We're finally starting to see some separation in the division races. With le s than a month left, which division race are you most intrigued by? Smoltz: I'm most intrigued by - because those two have been going back and forth the entire year. I think for those teams, based on the way that they're structured, it would be huge to get the bye set up the rotation, secure one of the top two records, but more importantly, win that division and have home field. So that, to me, is the most intriguing. The [AL] Central, of course, is still [intriguing] with the Guardians doing what they're doing, kind of hanging in there. That's a three-team race. But I think for the most part, I'd be all over watching the Baltimore Orioles and . Entering Tuesday, the Mets are only a half-game out and the are 3.5 out. Do you think the Braves still have what it takes to hold off the Mets and maybe even the Cubs there for the final wild-card spot? Smoltz: It's gonna be interesting. I think the Mets are going through a pretty tough schedule coming up, so they gotta survive that. Each team has gone through the gauntlet. Philadelphia just got through going through the gauntlet in their schedule and they survived it. So, I think it's going to be interesting when you look at who they have left and what they're trying to do. The Mets have, I think, seven games against the Phillies. That is something that the Braves are hoping for, that the Phillies get hot, right? Because the division is pretty much gone for the Braves, so you're rooting for certain teams you would never root for before. But you got to take care of your own busine s right now. The Braves are at home. They're playing a dangerous Rockies team that has nothing to play for but to spoil people's years. You've got to execute when you have the schedule in front of you. Highlights from Mets' win over Red Sox We talked last week about how no team was trending toward 100 wins. When you look at the potential playoff field right now, who do you consider the best team in baseball? Smoltz: The best team in baseball has fluctuated so many different times. But I'm telling you, I said this a month into the season when everybody was worried about the , you can make an argument that they might be best suited for the best run in the baseball tournament because they're getting healthier. Their rotation is pretty darn good and they're getting healthier. So, you can make an argument that Houston might be that sneaky pick that nobody would have picked as the best team right now based on all the things they've got going for them. I don't think we could have ever said that two months ago, one month ago. Everyone's going to point toward the Philadelphia Phillies, and I still do. I think the Philadelphia Phillies have the roster to win it all. So do the Dodgers, but the Dodgers have to figure out their starting rotation. If they don't figure that out and get healthy, then they're just as vulnerable as anybody else. , a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer, eight-time All-Star and National League Cy Young Award winner, is FOX MLB's lead game analyst. In addition to calling the network's marquee regular-season games, Smoltz is in the booth for the All-Star Game and a full slate of postseason matchups which include Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series a signments. is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at . [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? .] FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Vernon Wells Jersey