Top 30 Cy Young Award Winners of all-time
By Jason Evans
13. Greg Maddux-1994
12. Greg Maddux-1995
Greg Maddux won four straight Cy Young Awards from 1992-1995, including changing teams in the middle of that span. Maddux was one of the best control pitchers ever. He could hit his spots with the best of them (even when Eddie Perez would set up five feet outside and get him a strike call).
Maddux’s ’94 and ’95 campaigns were just flat out filthy and nearly impossible to differentiate from.
In 94, Maddux led the NL in WAR (8.7), ERA (1.56), Wins (16), complete games (10), shutouts (3) and FIP (2.39) He was third in strikeouts.
In 19, Maddux led the NL in WAR (9.6), ERA (1.63), Wins (19), WHIP (0.81), complete games (10), shutouts (3), and FIP 2.26. He was third in strikeouts.
See what I mean? Similar dominance in those two seasons, and the higher WAR may have just been do to sheer length of the season.
Maddux would just go out there, do his job, dominate and go back in the clubhouse. There was no questioning his talents.
Maddux would make All-Star teams and lead the league in ERA one more time in his career, but he would never win another Cy Young Award. That’s because Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez would win a bunch of them in the NL.