Atlanta Braves WAR leaders #6: Greg Maddux (P)
- 72.9 WAR
- 363 games-pitched
- 1993-2003
The “Mad Dog” had an absolute ridiculous career stat sheet while playing on some of the best Atlanta Braves teams of all-time. His style of pitching was a work of art and he will probably go down as the master of pitching command in his time.
The Accolades
The induction of Greg Maddux into the Hall of Fame was a no-brainer in 2014 (97.2% of the ballot). The guy won four Cy Young awards in his career and 18 Gold Glove awards.
His superb command brought him four ERA titles and eight All-Star appearances, not to mention all of the times he led the Majors in FIP, WHIP, and other pitching stats in his 23-season career.
Maddux may have played for the Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres, but he will always be remembered as a Brave.
He was a critical part of the “Big Three” in the ’90s that provided the Atlanta Braves with the pitching excellence that the organization still strives for today.
The Player
Maddux achieved at least the 200-inning mark in all but five of his 23 seasons and led the Majors in innings pitched for five straight seasons from 1991 thru 1995. He had an 11-season stretch where he averaged 34 starts and 227 innings, a true testament of his dominance.
His span with the Braves lasted 11 seasons (1993-2003). Here are his totals for that span:
- 194 wins / 88 losses
- 2.63 ERA
- 2.95 FIP
- 1.051 WHIP
- 61 complete games
- 21 shutouts
- 6.5 K/9
- 1.4 BB/9
To gain a better appreciation for those numbers, here are his per-162 averages for that span of 11 seasons. These are the numbers he would put up in a normal season during that span of his career:
- 19 wins / 9 losses
- 34 starts
- 2.63 ERA
- 2.95 FIP
- 6 complete-games
- 2 shut-outs
- 237 innings-pitched
- 172 strikeouts
His run with the Braves would occupy his age 27 thru 37 seasons, which fell right inside the prime of his Major League career. As most of us know, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played there at the beginning of his career (1986-1992).
Maddux was a 2nd-round selection by the Cubs in the 1984 MLB Draft but didn’t make his Major League debut until September of 1986. His first two campaigns with the Cubs weren’t anything special, but in 1988 everything started to click for him.
By the end of 1992, his last season with Chicago, he had made two All-Star games and won 95 games (an average of 14 per season in that span). His career ERA at the time was 3.35 and the deadly precision was coming full force by then.
At the age of 27, Maddux made his debut with the Atlanta Braves in the 1993 season after signing in the offseason as a free agent. He went 20-10 that season and finished with a 2.36 ERA (leading the Majors). His 36 starts led all of baseball, as well as his eight complete games.
He tossed 267 innings (also leading the Majors) and struck out 6.6 per nine innings in that 1992 season. It was the beginning of an excellent 11-year span with the Braves.
Known for his accuracy and ability to paint the black with a nasty changeup, here’s Maddux pitching a complete-game in only 76 pitches in a 1997 game against the Chicago Cubs, picking up the win of course:
In 2004, at the age of 38, Maddux would play for the Cubs again, going 16-11 with a 4.02 ERA. He would play two seasons with Chicago before ending up with the San Diego Padres where he would pitch for one season. The 2007 season with the Padres would still end up being a solid season for Maddux, as he would finish with 14 wins and a 4.14 ERA in 34 starts.
In 2008, he would split time with the Padres and Dodgers, winding up with an 8-13 record in 33 starts. That year, even at the age of 42, he would win his last Gold Glove award and lead the National League in walks per nine-innings (1.4).
All in all, Maddux had a run of 17-straight seasons with at least 15 wins. In his entire career, he tallied a video game-like walk rate of 1.8 walks per nine innings. Mad Dog accomplished some ridiculous achievements in his time, some that may never be accomplished by another pitcher.
Best season
1997 (8.0 WAR)
- 232.2 IP
- 19-4
- 177 K
- 2.20 ERA
- 2.43 FIP
In 1997, Maddux was in the middle of an already fantastic pitching career, and still only 31-years-old. That season the Braves would finish 101-61 and win the NL East division, with leaders like Ryan Klesko, Javy Lopez, Fred McGriff and Chipper Jones on offense and Denny Neagle, Maddux and Smoltz on the pitching side.
The team wound up losing in the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins, but the season was still a magnificent one for Greg Maddux.
The 1997 season did not end in a Cy Young for Maddux, but his second-place finish shouldn’t leave doubt as to what kind of season he had. He won a Gold Glove award, finished 12th in the NL MVP vote, and made the National League All-Star team.
That year Maddux would finish with a 19-4 record, leading the National League in winning percentage among pitchers. In his 33 starts and 232.2 innings-pitched, Maddux struck out 177 batters and only walked 20, with a nice 2.20 ERA.
He led the Majors in homers allowed per nine innings, with 0.3 HR/9 and also paced the Majors in walks per nine innings, with a crazy BB/9 of 0.8.
Maddux was always known for his run-prevention and expertise in avoiding walks, but in 1997 he reached another level with those skills.