Looking back at the history of Major League Baseball, it's clear that the Atlanta Braves are one of the best clubs of the modern era. And a large part of that is because of one iconic pitcher.
During the All-Star break, BleacherReport has created a list of the 50 greatest MLB players of the modern era (1995-present day). Alongside legendary names like Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols is legendary Braves pitcher Greg Maddux, who was ranked at No. 9.
Although he began his career with the Chicago Cubs, Maddux is most well-known for his time with the Braves from 1993-2003, when he helped Atlanta win the 1995 World Series.
Throughout his prestigious career, Maddux was named an 8-time All-Star, an 18-time Gold Glove winner, and a four-time Cy Young winner. He boasted a 355-227 record with a 3.16 ERA, 5,008.1 innings pitched, and 3,371 strikeouts.
However, the most significant testament to Maddux's greatness is that a stat is literally named after him. According to MLB.com, a Maddux is "a start in which a pitcher tosses a complete-game shutout on fewer than 100 pitches." The Braves legend pitched 13 Madduxes throughout his career, almost twice as many as any other player.
Maddux was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a member of both the Cubs' and Braves' Halls of Fame. His number was retired by both organizations.
Maddux isn't the only Braves Hall of Famer mentioned in BleacherReport's Top 50. Andruw Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones were also ranked among the best. Freddie Freeman, currently playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was also included in the list.
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