Kershaw: Hendricks is 'Greg Maddux of this generation'

After Clayton Kershaw announced he would start Game 6 of Saturday's NLCS at Wrigley Field against Chicago, the three-time Cy Young winner paid quite the compliment to his opponent, right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

Kershaw compared the soft-tossing, control-driven Hendricks to one of the game's greatest pitchers.

"Well, he obviously had an amazing year. What he's been able to accomplish this year. He's kind of like the Greg Maddux of this generation, with his ability to sink the ball, cut the ball, and put him in spots where hitters are enticed to swing at it, but you can't put the barrel on it. He's really good at mixing speeds, changing it up. He's a tough guy to go against, for sure," Kershaw said in a press conference, according to ASAP Sports.

While the compliment was flattering, Hendricks has a long way to go to formulate a career that's similar to the Hall of Famer Maddux's. That being said, the 26-year-old is off to a comparable start.

Not including the first two seasons of Maddux's career, the duo - who both debuted with the Cubs - have a lot in common, statistically.

Greg Maddux

Kyle Hendricks

Maddux went on to have the best years of his career during his last season with the Cubs (winning the 1992 Cy Young), and with the Atlanta Braves between 1993-98 (3 Cy Youngs).

Hendricks clearly has some work to do.