Greg Maddux

After Maddux's streak of 17 consecutive 15-win seasons was derailed in 2005, the future Hall of Famer started a new streak in 2006, going 15-14 between stints with the Cubs and Dodgers. His accomplishments are numerous, and Maddux will take his game to San Diego this season. A lot has been made of Maddux being essentially a six-inning pitcher these days and while there's some truth to that, Maddux is also a guy who doesn't get hurt, logging at least 33 starts each year since 1996. He's not going to help much in the strikeout category, but pitching in Petco Park will help his ERA. Expect another season similar to 2006.

Maddux's strikeout rate has dropped over the last few years, while his home run rate has risen. That's a bad combination because the reduced K rate means more balls in play, which leads to a more hits, and then the home runs are more damaging. On the bright side, Maddux's control is as sharp as ever, and he actually allowed six less homers in 2005 than in 2004. Still roughly 30 HRs a year without the decent strikeout numbers will make it very difficult for Maddux to get his ERA back under 4.00.

For the second year in a row, Maddux went 16-11 with an ERA of just about 4.00 and exactly 33 walks in a little more than 200 IP. The only disturbing trend in his skill set is the rise in his home run rate from an average of 16.4 from 1998–2002 to 24 in 2003 to 35 last year. Still, his strikeout rate jumped a bit in 2004. He'll turn 39 this season, but given his history of good health and low pitch counts, he's a safe bet for another quality season.

Maddux won 15 or more games for the 16th consecutive year, but wasn't re-signed by the Braves. He's seen a steady decline in his strikeout rate the past few seasons, which points to a drop-off overall. At 38, the question for Maddux isn't if he'll decline but how quickly. We bet he has at least one more strong season in him in a new ballpark. While he was healthier last season than in 2002, durability issues may keep him from pitching 200+ innings.

Maddux is about the most dependable player in baseball, last year wining 15 or more games for his 15th consecutive year. However, he started to show some signs of age as he struggled with a hamstring injury that frequently limited his outings to six innings or less. He pitched fewer than 200 innings for the first time since his rookie season. The injuries may have also caused his strikeout-to-walk ratio to fall slightly. Overall, there are no major concerns but Maddux may see his workload reduced to keep him healthier this season.