Youngest and Oldest Pitchers to Throw a Maddux

It was just over a year ago that I first wrote about the Maddux, a baseball accomplishment I've been tracking since 1998, when I'd just graduated from high school. (The original post can be found here.) A Maddux is a complete game shutout (of at least 9 innings, no "5 innings, then rain" games) in which the pitcher throws fewer than 100 pitches. The statistic can be tracked going back to 1988, which is when MLB began keeping complete pitch count records for every game. In that first post, I listed the career leaders for Madduxes (with Greg himself atop the list, quite naturally and comfortably), the fewest pitches in a Maddux, and many other tidbits about the accomplishment. As inspiration strikes, I'll share other Maddux-related information. Today, I take a look at the youngest and oldest pitchers to throw one.

LAST UPDATE: End of 2015 season

Youngest pitchers to throw a Maddux:

1) Felix Hernandez (20 years, 142 days) - August 28, 2006, Mariners over Angles, 95 pitches

2) Jerome Williams (21, 205) - June 27, 2003, Giants over Athletics, 96 pitches

3) Henderson Alvarez (22, 16) - May 4, 2012, Blue Jays over Angels, 97 pitches

4) Jeff Pico (22, 197) - August 27, 1988, Cubs over Braves, 95 pitches

5) Ben McDonald (22, 239) - July 21, 1990, Orioles over White Sox, 85 pitches

6) Dave Fleming (22, 292) - August 25, 1992, Mariners over Indians, 97 pitches

7) Jim Abbott (22, 297) - July 13, 1990, Angels over Blue Jays, 93 pitches

8) Derek Holland (22, 304) - August 9, 2009, Rangers over Angels, 96 pitches

9) Carlos Zambrano (22, 341) - May 7, 2004, Cubs over Rockies, 97 pitches

10) Steve Avery (23, 54) - June 7, 1993, Braves over Padres, 97 pitches

Greg Maddux was 24 years, 15 days old when he pitched his first Maddux. He did also throw one shutout before the Maddux era, on July 1, 1987. There is no pitch count data, but it's entirely possible that game was a Maddux, as he allowed just 4 hits and 1 walk, and had only 2 strikeouts. Maybe Greg knows how many pitches he threw that game. If anyone sees him, ask. He was only 21 years and 78 days old then.

Jose Fernandez, Julio Teheran, Trevor Bauer, Shelby Miller, Brandon Maurer, and Jonathan Pettibone are the only pitchers who've started a game in 2013 and are still young enough to crack the list. Maurer and Pettibone will both be too old by season's end, whereas Fernandez is yet to turn 21, and could make the list with a Maddux even two years from now. (He is older than Felix was when he threw his though.)

Oldest pitchers to throw a Maddux:
1) Jamie Moyer (43 years, 196 days) - June 2, 2006, Mariners over Royals, 93 pitches

2) David Wells (39, 325) - April 10, 2003, Yankees over Twins, 96 pitches

3) Jerry Reuss (39, 316) - May 1, 1989, White Sox over Brewers, 87 pitches

4) Rick Reuschel (39, 93) - August 17, 1988, Giants over Mets, 97 pitches

5) R.A. Dickey (38, 240) - June 26, 2013, Blue Jays over Rays, 93 pitches
6) Bert Blyleven (38, 103) - July 18, 1989, Angels over Blue Jays, 95 pitches

7) Bert Blyleven (38, 10) - April 16, 1989, Angels over Mariners, 90 pitches

8) Danny Darwin (37, 297) - August 18, 1993, Red Sox over White Sox, 94 pitches

9) Pedro Astacio (37, 260) - August 15, 2006, Nationals over Braves, 89 pitches

10) Dennis Martinez (37, 75) - July 28, 1991, Expos over Dodgers, 96 pitches

I find it really, really cool that the youngest and oldest guys ever to throw a Maddux did it not even three months apart, and for the same team. Sadly, Moyer had been traded away nine days before Felix's Maddux, meaning they were only teammates for Moyer's.

Greg Maddux was 34 years, 152 days old at the time of his last Maddux.

Andy Pettitte, Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey*, Hiroki Kuroda, Tim Hudson, and Ted Lilly are the only pitchers who've started a game so far in 2013 that are old enough to crack that list. Either Pettitte or Colon would become the second oldest on the list.

*This list was updated after Dickey DID in fact throw a Maddux!

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There have been some close calls, but so far only Clayton Kershaw and Jordan Zimmermann have thrown a Maddux in 2013. Just last night, Matt Harvey of the Mets didn't throw his 100th pitch until there were 2 outs in the 9th (ultimately he needed 105 pitches to get through nine innings and the Mets didn't bother to score any runs, so the game didn't end at that point anyway). Who will be next? Josh Beckett was the last to pitch more than one Maddux in the same season (2009), but both Kershaw and Zimmermann are scheduled to start Wednesday night, maybe one of them will toss another...