We have reached the Top 3 of our greatest Braves of all time list. Number 3 belongs to a guy who did not start his career in Atlanta, however, is arguably the greatest pitcher to ever wear a Braves uniform. Greg Maddux was drafted by the Cubs in the second round in 1984. He struggled in his first two seasons, but became a force in his third. He went 18-8 with 3.18 ERA in his third season in the Majors. He won his first CY Young award in 1992, his final season with the Cubs. That season he won 20 games and had an ERA of 2.18. After the 1992 season, Maddux left the Cubs and joined the Atlanta Braves. His first three seasons as a Brave could not have gone any better. He won three straight Cy Young awards. In 1994, he had a ridiculous 1.56 ERA. He followed it up with another ridiculous year in 1995. He went 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA and led the Braves to a World Series victory. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that season. From 1992-1998, Maddux never had an ERA over 3.00 and never finished outside the top 5 in Cy Young voting. The most amazing thing about Maddux is that he was a true pitcher. He never was one to overpower guys or strike out a ton of guys with flashy style. He located his pitches perfectly, pitched to contact and never threw a lot of pitches. He was a true surgeon on the mound with a multitude of effective pitches. He also won an unprecedented 18 Gold Gloves from 1990-2008. He spent 11 years with the Braves before going back to Chicago, and then bouncing around the MLB before retiring in 2008 as a member of the Dodgers. Maddux had his famous number 31 retired by both the Braves and the Cubs in 2009. He finished with an unbelievable 355 career wins. He was elected to be a member of the Hall of Fame in 2014 with an amazing 97.2 percent approval. Although, he did not start his career as a Brave, the 8-time All-Star goes down as one of the best to ever wear the Braves uniform.
Links to Greatest Braves of All-Time 10-4:
10. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-braves-of-all-time-number-10/
9. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-braves-of-all-time-number-9/
8. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-braves-of-all-time-number-8/
7. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-greatest-braves-of-all-time-number-7/
6. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-greatest-braves-of-all-time-number-6/
5. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-greatest-braves-of-all-time-number-5/
4. https://sportstalkatl.com/top-10-greatest-braves-of-all-time-number-4/
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