The Baseball Scholar

The 20 Greatest Chicago Cubs of All-Time

Dave Franks
1–2 minutes

Rankings based on seasons 1901 – 2025.

To be eligible, position players need 1,500 plate appearances, starting pitchers have to have started a minimum of 75 games, and relief pitchers need to have 150 innings pitched for the franchise.

  1. Ron SantoHOF

    • Age: 20-33
    • Years: 1960-1974
    • Positions: 3B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Ron Santo Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    72.2 128 2126 8979 7768 1109 2171 353 66 337 1290 35 39 1071 1271 .279 .366 .472 .838

  2. Ernie BanksHOF2x MVP

    • Age: 22 – 40
    • Years: 1953 – 1971
    • Positions: SS, 1B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Ernie Banks Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    67.7 118 2528 10395 9421 1305 2583 407 90 512 1636 50 53 763 1236 .274 .328 .499 .828

  3. Sammy SosaMVP

    • Age: 23-35
    • Years: 1992-2004
    • Positions: RF
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Sammy Sosa Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    58.8 134 1811 7898 6990 1245 1985 296 32 545 1414 181 79 798 1815 .284 .358 .569 .928

  4. Ryne SandbergHOFMVP

    • Age: 22-34, 36-37
    • Years: 1982-1994, 1996-1997
    • Positions: 2B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Ryne Sandberg Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    68.1 115 2151 9276 8379 1316 2385 403 76 282 1061 344 107 761 1259 .285 .344 .452 .796

  5. Billy WilliamsHOFRookie of the Year

    • Age: 21-36
    • Years: 1959-1974
    • Positions: LF / RF
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Billy Williams Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    61.7 134 2213 9504 8479 1306 2510 402 87 392 1353 86 47 911 934 .296 .364 .503 .867

  6. Mordecai BrownHOF

    • Age: 27-35, 39
    • Years: 1904-1912, 1916
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Mordecai Brown Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    47.9 64 346 241 188 86 1.80 2326.9 206 48 39 679 465 445 1043 1.00

  7. Fergie JenkinsHOFCy Young

    • Age: 23-30, 39-40
    • Years: 1966-1973, 1982-1983
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Fergie Jenkins Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    52.9 84 401 347 167 132 3.21 2672.5 154 29 6 1061 952 600 2038 18.7% 1.12

  8. Pete AlexanderHOF

    • Age: 31-39
    • Years: 1918-1926
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Pete Alexander Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    41 76 242 223 128 83 2.84 1883.4 159 24 10 717 595 268 614 8.0% 1.16

  9. Rick Reuschel

    • Age: 23-32, 34-35
    • Years: 1972-1981, 1983-1984
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Rick Reuschel Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    48.3 89 358 343 135 127 3.50 2287.9 65 17 3 1007 891 640 1367 14.1% 1.31

  10. Frank ChanceHOF

    • Age: 24-35
    • Years: 1901-1912
    • Positions: 1B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Frank Chance Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    42.8 140 1101 4504 3785 699 1128 181 71 18 541 375 0 509 28 .298 .397 .398 .795

  11. Hack WilsonHOFMVP

    • Age: 26-31
    • Years: 1926-1931
    • Positions: CF
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Hack Wilson Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    31.3 151 850 3719 3154 652 1017 185 44 190 769 34 0 463 461 .322 .412 .590 1.002

  12. Stan Hack

    • Age: 22-37
    • Years: 1932-1947
    • Positions: 3B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Stan Hack Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    55.2 124 1938 8506 7278 1239 2193 363 81 57 642 165 0 1092 466 .301 .394 .397 .791

  13. Hippo Vaughn

    • Age: 25-33
    • Years: 1913-1921
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Hippo Vaughn Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    40 79 305 270 151 105 2.34 2214 177 35 4 789 575 621 1138 1.17

  14. Bill Nicholson

    • Age: 24-33
    • Years: 1939-1948
    • Positions: RF
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Bill Nicholson Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    38.6 134 1349 5614 4857 738 1323 245 53 205 833 26 0 696 684 .272 .368 .471 .840

  15. Anthony Rizzo

    • Age: 22-31
    • Years: 2012-2021
    • Positions: 1B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Anthony Rizzo Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    37.1 131 1308 5639 4812 721 1311 276 20 242 784 62 35 624 871 .272 .372 .489 .861

  16. Billy HermanHOF

    • Age: 21-31
    • Years: 1931-1941
    • Positions: 2B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Billy Herman Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    42.4 114 1344 6166 5532 875 1710 346 69 37 577 53 0 470 282 .309 .366 .417 .782

  17. Carlos Zambrano

    • Age: 20-30
    • Years: 2001-2011
    • Positions: SP
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Carlos Zambrano Pitching Stats
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    37.7 83 319 282 125 81 3.61 1823.4 9 4 0 804 731 823 1542 19.8% 1.32

  18. Kris BryantMVPRookie of the Year

    • Age: 23-29
    • Years: 2015-2021
    • Positions: 3B / LF
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Kris Bryant Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    28 136 833 3626 3100 564 865 191 19 160 465 38 20 420 862 .279 .378 .508 .886

  19. Mark Grace

    • Age: 24-36
    • Years: 1988-2000
    • Positions: 1B
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Mark Grace Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    44.2 123 1910 8234 7156 1057 2201 456 43 148 1004 67 48 946 561 .308 .386 .445 .832

  20. Gabby HartnettHOFMVP

    • Age: 21-39
    • Years: 1922-1940
    • Positions: C
    • Teams: Chicago Cubs
    Gabby Hartnett Hitting Stats
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    54.5 126 1926 7132 6282 847 1867 391 64 231 1153 28 7 691 683 .297 .370 .490 .860

    21. The Next 5

  21. 21. Greg Maddux
  22. 22. Claude Passeau
  23. 23. Lon Warneke
  24. 24. Ed Reulbach
  25. 25. Johnny Evers

    26. All underlying data used in this analysis is available in The Baseball Scholar Data Library.

    7 responses to “The 20 Greatest Chicago Cubs of All-Time”

    1. Brian Powell Avatar
      Brian Powell

      Cap Anson is an obvious omission. He still is the all-time Cubs leader in WAR, even if they were rarely called that during his tenure. Evers and Tinker may well belong on the list ahead of Nicholson. What about Clark Griffith who won 152 games for the Cubs in the 1890s? Maybe someday Sammy Sosa will be welcomed back into the fold. It is hard to choose with so many good players over 140+ seasons of baseball. But Anson, Hullbert, and Spalding created the major leagues for us.

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    2. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Sosa is a waste of space.

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    3. Avatar
      Anonymous

      no javy Baez?

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      1. Dave Franks Avatar
        Dave Franks

        Overall, Baez is ranked 61st. He’s 6 years (4 seasons as a starter) into his career. He’s 2 good years away from showing up on this list.

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    4. Avatar
      Anonymous

      ANDRE DAWSON #8 & John Lester & Javy Baez + Tinker & Evers & I gotta look up Cap Anson

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    5. Kevin Joseph Foley Avatar
      Kevin Joseph Foley

      Cubs top 20 players all time is not very impressive. This franchise and all the hype is incredibly OVERRATED!

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    6. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Santos ahead of Banks???? NO WAY Check out their stats. And, more people would go see MR CUBBIE.

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