5 Greatest Chicago Cubs Hitters of All Time

Choosing the No. 5 hitter in Cubs history came between the franchise’s best second baseman in history or the best third baseman in history. We won’t quibble with anyone who chooses to put Ron Santo in his or her top five, either, considering he’s second all-time in wins-above-replacement in a Cubs uniform.

But we’re going with Sandberg. Second baseman were not considered powerful hitters in a team’s lineup for a bulk of MLB history. They’re still not, usually, though Sandberg beat that stereotype and when he retired the final time in 1997, he left as the all-time leader in home runs for a second baseman.

Sandberg played 16 seasons in the Majors, 15 of which came in Chicago. He not only led the National League in home runs one season (40 in 1990), but also in triples in another (19 in 1984). Sandberg doesn’t lead the Cubs in any major statistical category, but ranks in the top five in WAR, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, home runs, and stolen bases.

4. Billy Williams, Outfielder

Williams played 16 of his 18 seasons in a Cubs uniform where his consistency saw him earn Most Valuable Player votes eight times from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.

Williams ranks third in franchise history in offensive WAR, games played, hits and home runs. He hit 20 home runs or more in every full season he played in Chicago except his last, then popped another 23 at age 37 with the Oakland Athletics.

The 1970 season was Williams’ best, even though he wasn’t named an All-Star. He led the Majors in runs (137) and hits (205) while hitting .322 with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .586. Williams finished second that year in National League MVP voting, losing out to the Reds’ Johnny Bench, who led baseball with 45 home runs and 148 RBIs.

3. Sammy Sosa, Outfielder

Purists may want to remove Sosa for Santo, but as long as the numbers aren’t removed from history, it’s hard to leave the Cubs’ outfielder off the list.

Sosa helped MLB rejuvenate its image coming out of the 1994-95 players strike as his record-chasing home-run pace of the late 1990s and early 2000s helped put baseball back alongside football as the most popular sport in America. 

Sosa ranks ninth in history with 609 home runs and he hit more than 60 in a season three times (1998, 1999, 2001). He won his first and only MVP award in 1998 and he finished in the top 10 in MVP voting another six times. 

Performance-enhancing drug allegations have tainted his legacy, though Sosa has denied having used them. He did, in 2024, admit to making “mistakes” while recovering from injuries during his career, which concluded after the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers and he has slowly began making his way back into the hearts of Cubs fans.

2. Ernie Banks, First Base/Shortstop

Banks’ career can be split into two halves: the first in which he played shortstop and the second in which he played first base. And while his better days at the plate came while he was at short, no matter where he was, Banks put up solid numbers.

Teaming with Williams on the north side for 13 seasons, Banks was the best player on some bad teams. The Cubs never finished better than fifth in the National League East until 1967, only five years before Banks retired.

He did all he could, though, earning All-Star nods 11 times, including eight straight from 1955 to 1962. Banks led the majors in home runs twice, with 47 in 1958 and 41 in 1960, and won back-to-back MVP awards in 1958 and 1959. He ranks fourth in franchise history in WAR, second in home runs and hits, and first in at-bats, total bases, and games.

1. Cap Anson, First Base/Third Base/Catcher

Anson played professional baseball for five seasons before Major League Baseball was established. He left the Philadelphia Athletics for the Chicago White Stockings, now the Cubs, in the inaugural year of 1876, and he spent the entire rest of his career, to 1897, in Chicago.

Playing in an era that did not see many home runs, Anson’s 27 professional years yielded just 97 homers. But he also stole 277 bases, knocked in 2,075 runs, and clubbed 582 doubles with 142 triples. Chicago won six pennants during his time.

While known as one of the sport’s first superstars, Anson was also a racist who strongly opposed playing baseball with or against players.