The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #9 Greg Maddux

Schooling the last at #9 is “The Professor” Greg Maddux. Maddux’s control of the strike zone is unrivaled in baseball history. He led the league in BB/9 a remarkable nine times which is the most since MLB formed in 1903. Since 1909, no other pitcher has done it even six times. While Maddux’s control was his calling card, truly historic seasons are the hallmark of his resume. There have only been four seasons in history that have produced at least 200 innings and a 260 ERA+ and Maddux accomplished it in back-to-back seasons in 1994 and 1995 in what is arguably the greatest two-year stretch by a starting pitcher ever. Maddux’s 1995 season might be the greatest in history. His 19-2 record still stands as the all-time single-season record for winning percentage (min. 21 starts). He had four seasons with at least 200 innings, no more than a .98 WHIP, and at least a 187 ERA+ which ties Walter Johnson for the most in history. Often lost in the glow of Maddux’s peripherals is the fact that he was a workhorse. Maddux led the league in innings pitched for five consecutive seasons which ties Robin Roberts for the longest streak in history. Since 1914, Maddux is the only pitcher with 5,000 career innings and at least a 132 ERA. He won four consecutive Cy Youngs Awards (1992-1995) which is tied with Randy Johnson for the longest streak in history. He also finished in the top-5 of the Cy Young voting nine times which trails only Roger Clemens for most ever. Maddux’s 355 career wins are the 2nd most since 1912. Maddux led his team to the playoffs in 13 of his 23 seasons, reached the World Series three times, and was phenomenal in two starts in the 1995 World Series, propelling the Braves to the championship.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #10 Alex Rodriguez

Joining the list at #10 is Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees force, Alex Rodriguez. Since Rodriguez split his time playing shortstop and third base, you won’t find his name atop the career leaderboard for either position, but he is far and away the most productive player the game has ever seen from the left side of the infield. He’s the only shortstop or third baseman to hit 50 home runs in a season and he did it three times. No shortstop or third baseman has more home runs, runs, RBIs, extra-base hits, total bases, or runs created. Arod’s reach goes far beyond the left side of the infield as he’s among the top-10 in baseball history–regardless of position–in those same categories.  He’s the only player in history with 3,000 hits, 2,000 runs, 2,000 RBIs, and a .380 on-base percentage. He’s the only player in history with 3,000 hits, 300 stolen bases, 2,000 runs, and 2,000 RBIs. He’s the only player in history with at least 40 home runs and 45 stolen bases in a single season. He’s the only player in history with 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and 200 hits in a single season. He’s the only player in history with at least 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and a .310 batting average in a single season. Arod led the league in offensive war nine times which is the most since 1921. His 13-consecutive seasons with at least 100 runs are tied with Hank Aaron and Lou Gehrig for the longest streak in history. His 13-consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBIs are tied with Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig for the longest in history. Arod’s eight seasons of 120+ runs trail only Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for most all-time. His nine seasons of 120 RBIs also trail only Ruth and Gehrig for most all-time. Arod’s 15 seasons of at least 30 home runs are tied with Hank Aaron for the most all-time and his three seasons of at least 52 home runs trail only Ruth and Mark McGwire.  Rodriguez won three MVPs which is tied for the second-most in history. He also had two second-place finishes, six top-3, and ten top-10 finishes. Arod led his teams to the postseason a remarkable 12 times and helped lead the Yankees to the 2009 World Series championship.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #11 Mike Schmidt

Entering the list at #11 is Phillies third baseman, Mike Schmidt. Schmidt’s career numbers don’t jump off the page mostly due to the fact that runs were tough to come by in the 1970s and 80s. Looking at Schmidt’s performance relative to the era that he played in reveals a different story—one that makes him, without question, the greatest third baseman of all time. Schmidt led the league in home runs eight times. Only Babe Ruth led the league more often. He hit 35 or more home runs 11 times. Only Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez did it more. Schmidt finished in the top-5 in WAR 12 times, twice as many as any other third baseman in history. Even more remarkable, he did it in 11 consecutive seasons. Schmidt led the league in OPS+ six times, which is more than any other player during his 18-year career. Among third basemen, Schmidt is the king. He’s the all-time leader at the hot corner in home runs and WAR, and his 18.4 dWAR is in the top ten in history among third basemen, making him one of the greatest two-way players baseball has ever seen. Schmidt won three MVPs and finished in the top-10 nine times. He also led the Phillies to two World Series appearances and a World Series title in 1980 in which he was named the World Series MVP, making him the only player in history with at least three MVP awards and a World Series MVP.