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For a season and a half or two seasons starting in 2015, Jake Arrieta was the greatest pitcher in baseball.

He was Pedro in 2000.

Gibson in ‘68.

Koufax in ’61-’66 inclusive.

Arrieta did not start out as the ace of aces, but he finished there in 2015, winning the Cy Young Award after accomplishing some things not done since before the original Cy Young actually pitched.

He was Seinfeld on stage.

Pavarotti at The Met.

Scully at the mic.

It might seem like a lifetime ago in this world of a news cycle the length of a tweet, and it might seem more distant still in the wake of the Cubs’ signing of ace free-agent Yu Darvish this past weekend. But on his way out, Arrieta deserves some form of thanks for helping to make the Cubs champions for the first time in more than a century but especially for his legendary 2015 that tore into the first half of 2016.

He was Picasso in his “blue period.’’

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Van Gogh in Arles.

Monet in Giverny.

Arrieta finished the 2015 season 22-6, but the record doesn’t matter. He posted a 1.77 ERA and struck out 236 while walking just 48, a stunning ratio of almost 5-1. Baseball-reference.com lists him with a fielder independent pitching of 2.35 and a stunning wins above replacement of 8.7.

He was Ali shuffling.

Gretzky passing.

Steph shooting.

After the 2015 All-Star Game, Arrieta allowed just nine earned runs in 107 1/3 innings for a microscopic 0.75 ERA, the lowest in MLB history in the second half.

He was Tiger at the Masters.

Watson at the British.

Nicklaus at any major.

On Aug. 30, Arrieta no-hit the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, striking out 12 and finishing one walk away from a perfect game. That completed a dominant August in which Arrieta held opponents to a gaudy .196 on-base percentage and a laughable 0.43 ERA in six starts.

He was Yo-Yo Ma with the bow.

Prince cradling his Telecaster.

“Bird’’ blowing the sax.

In the magical 2015 season, the Cubs began an August charge that earned them a spot in the wild-card playoff game. There was no question who would start for the Cubs, and all Arrieta did was fire a complete-game shutout in which he struck out 11 and walked nobody while allowing five hits in the win-or-walk game.

He was Michael at the buzzer.

Montana in the last two minutes.

Mariano in the ninth.

In his fourth start in 2016, Arrieta no-hit the Reds, the second of his career. He set a major-league record that likely never will be touched in surviving 17 starts without a loss between no-hitters.

He was the first riff of “Satisfaction.”

The second album by The Beatles.

The third hour of Springsteen.

And the fourth.

Arrieta stretched his regular-season winning streak to 20 before the Diamondbacks beat him on June 5, his first loss in 11 months, and even then, Arrieta struck out 12 in the first five innings.

He was Savard’s spinorama.

Hull’s slap shot.

Kane’s stickhandling.

In Game 3 of the 2016 NLDS against the Giants, Arrieta hit a three-run homer off Madison Bumgarner, the first playoff runs the Giants ace had allowed in 24 innings. In the World Series, Arrieta won Games 2 and 6, posting an ERA of 2.38 as the Cubs beat the Indians for their first championship since 1908.

He was Payton bursting off tackle.

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Mays patrolling in center.

LeBron posterizing some poor sap at the rim.

When last we saw Arrieta, the bearded superhero was throwing 6 2/3 innings of one-run, three-hit, nine-strikeout ball in Game 4 of the 2017 NLCS, staving off a Dodgers sweep and keeping alive hopes for a World Series repeat.

He was Costner in a sports movie.

DeNiro in a mob movie.

Jack in any movie.

Greatness can be difficult to describe. But you know it when you see it. We saw it with Arrieta, and for that, Jake, thanks.