One of the most fascinating things about Tony Gwynn is how incredibly disciplined he was at the plate—so much so that he struck out only 434 times in his entire 20-year career. To put that in perspective, some modern power hitters strike out over 200 times in a single season.
But here’s the kicker: Gwynn faced Greg Maddux—one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history—over 100 times and struck out only ONCE. Maddux, known for his pinpoint control and ability to make hitters look foolish, could hardly get Gwynn to whiff. Gwynn batted .415 against him—absolutely unheard of against a Hall of Fame pitcher.
That insane level of bat control and hand-eye coordination is why Gwynn was arguably the greatest pure hitter of his generation.