Top 25 MLB pitching seasons of all time

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ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 21: Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves during Game One of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images) /

7. Greg Maddux, 1995

The Numbers: 19-2, 1.63 ERA, 10 complete games, three shutouts, 2.26 FIP, 0.811 WHIP, NL Cy Young

The 1995 season was a culmination of years of dominance for Greg Maddux, the man who could place a baseball exactly where he wanted it every single time. The right-hander walked only 23 in 209.2 innings with only eight home runs.

Maddux dominated the 1994 and 1995 seasons that were shortened by the strike. He went 35-8 over the two abbreviated seasons with a 1.60 ERA. Maddux allowed only 12 home runs in 411.2 innings and struck out 6.2 batters for every walk he issued.

In 1995, Maddux threw two games that would eventually qualify as “Madduxes” after the term was coined. A start qualifies as a Maddux when a pitcher throws a shutout with fewer than 100 pitches. Maddux went one better in 1995, as two of his shutouts were completed with fewer than 90 pitches.

After knocking on the door, the Braves and their great rotation finally won the World Series in 1995. Maddux won three games in the postseason. He retired in 2008 after a 23-year career with 355 wins and four Cy Young awards.

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