Congrats to Greg Maddux, who won his 15th of the year yesterday (on the third try). With the victory Maddux breaks Cy Young’s record for consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins.

What does it mean? It means that Greg Maddux has been very fortunate, and very good for a very long time.

Or as Rob Neyer noted a few weeks back:

Is Maddux’s streak of 16 15-win seasons really more impressive than Cy Young’s streak of 19 13-win seasons or Warren Spahn’s streak of 17 14-win seasons?

No, not really. If we draw the line at 15, we’re doing it simply to glorify Greg Maddux, (whose streak includes two 16-win seasons and three 15-win seasons), and he doesn’t need us to glorify him. It’s enough, I think, to say this:

In baseball’s first half-century, Cy Young was the game’s most durable and consistent pitcher.

In baseball’s second half-century, Warren Spahn was the game’s most durable and consistent pitcher.

And in baseball’s third half-century, Greg Maddux has been the game’s most durable and consistent pitcher.