Fansided

MLB power rankings: Top 30 nicknames of all-time

By John Buhler

Aug 14, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) smiles after a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 14, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) smiles after a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 30
Next
Oct 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs former pitcher Greg Maddux throws the ceremonial first pitch before game four of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs former pitcher Greg Maddux throws the ceremonial first pitch before game four of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

27. Greg Maddux: The Professor

Greg Maddux might be the best pitcher from the 1990s to early 2000s, as well as the greatest finesse pitcher of all-time. He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2014 alongside two of members of the Atlanta Braves family in pitcher Tom Glavine and manager Bobby Cox.

Maddux was over six feet tall, but slender in build. His two-seam fastball that would cut back on the on the hitter is one of the filthiest pitches in baseball history. That thing was not hittable. When Maddux was younger pitching for the Chicago Cubs, the nickname Mad Dog played along with his last name. As he aged, The Professor is the one that sticks to him the most.

When Maddux wasn’t on the mound, he’d always be wearing a pair of glasses in the Braves or Cubs dugout, studying the game like its greatest student. In a game where players and managers try to think ahead of the curve, nobody saw the game of nuance quite like Maddux did.

Even when he lost almost all velocity on his fastball in the 2000s, Maddux was still able to win over 15 games annually by changing speeds and utilizing pin-point precession. Though somewhat scrawny, Maddux was still one of the better athletes on the mound in his heyday, winning 18 gold gloves in a 19 year span. The Professor knew what’s up.

Home/MLB