Congrats to Greg Maddux ^[1], who won his 15th of the year yesterday (on the third try). With the victory Maddux breaks Cy Young’s ^[2] 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 ^[3] 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.