Consecutive Cy Young Awards Shortlist
Greg Maddux (1992-95)
Not only did Greg Maddux win four Cy Young Awards, but he also won them all consecutively. From 1992 to 1995, “The Professor” absolutely dominated the baseball world, not with heat, but with pure guile and even more smarts.
In that four-year span, Maddux lead the league in IP and FIP each season. He also managed to pitch to a phenomenal 75-29 (.721 W-L%) record and a 1.98 ERA. Not just that, Maddux led the league in wins, ERA, WHIP, innings pitched and complete games a combined 19 times in his career.
Teams didn’t always show confidence in the righty. In fact, prior to becoming a free agent at the age of 25 in 1991, the Chicago Cubs told him at the all-star break that he had a lot to prove, having never won 20 games or a Cy Young, according to the Daily Herald. That season, Maddux went 20-11 and won the NL Cy Young award.
It would be the first of four consecutive Cy Young’s, as mentioned before, yet he was still able to test free agency. Ultimately, he would join the Atlanta Braves organization where he would go on to win the World Series in 1995. The Cubs, on the other hand, won’t go on to win a championship until 2016, 21 years later.