Cubs' Hall of Fame pitcher named the team's best September call-up ever

Every September, MLB rosters expand and fresh faces get their shot in the big leagues. For the Chicago Cubs, one late-season call-up didn’t just impress — he became a Hall of Fame legend. His debut marked the beginning of an unforgettable career, and it still stands as the gold standard for September call-ups in team history.

I'm, of course, talking about Greg Maddux, who is one of the most talented pitchers to ever don blue pinstripes at Wrigley Field. And he first put on that uniform in a game against the Houston Astros on September 2, 1986, after he was first called up from Triple-A. Maddux was taken by the Cubs 31st overall two years prior in the 1984 draft, but he didn't initially live up to his eventual prowess. Maddux posted a 5.52 ERA in six games in 1986, and a 5.61 ERA over 27 starts the following year. But it didn't take long for Maddux's talents to reach new heights.

Maddux's numbers stand the test of time despite early struggles

The 1988 campaign was the first time Maddux earned himself an All-Star Game bid, and he did it at just 22 years old. This would be the first of eight Midsummer Classics Maddux would appear in throughout his 23-year career. The crafy right-hander would also take home four Cy Young Awards, 18 Gold Gloves, four ERA titles and a World Series championship with the Atlanta Braves in 1995.

These feats landed Maddux in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, and led the Cubs to retire his number 31 in 2009. Maddux did his best work for the Cubs in the 1992 season, when he posted a 2.18 ERA over 35 starts, with 199 strikeouts over 268 innings pitched. He accumulated a league-best 9.1 bWAR with 20 wins and nine complete games.

Of course, there's a generation of Cubs fans who remember his leaving on the heels of that history-making season, signing with the Atlanta Braves and starting a run of dominance with the Senior Circuit's team of the 1990s. From 1993 to 2000, Maddux averaged 19 wins, 234 innings, 7 complete games and a 2.43 ERA atop the Braves' rotation. Imagine how different the 90s may have been in Wrigleyville with him still anchoring the staff.

Maddux is simply one of the greatest pitchers ever, and he is hands-down the best September call-up the Cubs have seen in the organization's history.