The 24 best players in Chicago Cubs history

Cap Anson was born all the way back in 1852, making him easily the oldest player on this list, and someone most people reading this probably don't know much about. He was predominately a first baseman who starred for Chicago well over 100 years ago. He was a player/manager who actually leads the Cubs franchise in managerial wins, but his presence atop this list has more to do with what he did on the field. In 22 seasons for Chicago, Anson slashed .331/.396/.448 and won four batting titles. He is the franchise's all-time leader in hits, runs, RBI, and doubles and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939. 

Third baseman Ron Santo is one of the first names that come to mind when you think of all-time great Chicago Cubs, and it's no surprise to see him land this high on the team's WAR leaderboard. Santo spent all but one of his big league seasons with the Cubs, and he was a force to be reckoned with in every one of them. In the 14 seasons in which he called Wrigley Field home, the right handed slugger slashed .279/.366/.472 with 337 homers and 1290 RBI. He was selected to nine all-star games, won five Gold Glove awards, and was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2012. The Cubs retired Santo's number 10 in 2003.

Ryne Sandberg was actually drafted by the Phillies and coincidentally would come full circle with his original franchise when he later became Philadelphia's manager. But make no mistake. The second baseman is a Chicago Cub. Sandberg spent all but 13 games of his playing career in a Cubs uniform and just piled up accolade after accolade for this team. He made 10 all-star teams, won seven Silver Sluggers and nine Gold Gloves, and was the 1984 NL MVP. He led the league in runs three times, triples once, and won a home run derby. Sandberg's number 23 is retired in Chicago, and he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 2005. 

You're going to be hard-pressed to find someone more synonymous with this franchise than the man literally nicknamed "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks. The Dallas, TX native debuted in '53 for a handful of games but got his real chance the following season, and well, the rest is history. Banks would play every single one of his 2528 Major League games with the Cubs, and his name will live forever among this fan base. The shortstop won back-to-back NL MVP awards in 1958 and 1959, qualified for 14 all-star games, earned a Gold Glove award and had his number 14 retired by the organization. Banks led the league in homers twice and RBI twice, and nobody has played in more games as a Chicago Cub. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in '77. 

Outfielder Billy Williams debuted for the Cubs in 1959 and got cups of coffee with them in both'59 and '60, but still had his rookie status headed into '61 when he really got a chance to play. And once he got his opportunity, it became clear Chicago had a star on its hands. Williams slashed .278/.338/.484 with 25 homers and 86 RBI in that '61 season and was named NL Rookie of the Year. He would go on to make six all-star teams and win a batting title in a Cubs uniform, and the club retired his number 26 when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. 

There haven't been many MLB players more polarizing than Sammy Sosa, whose best days clearly came as a member of the Chicago Cubs. The right-handed hitting outfielder was an all-star and an MVP candidate for this team, but then came the steroid era. In 1998 Sosa crushed 66 homers and drove in a league-high 158 runs en route to being named NL MVP. The home run chase of both he and St. Louis' Mark McGwire tracking down Roger Maris' historic number of 61 was national news and helped revive baseball after the '94 strike. Sosa's home run totals for the next few years were 63, 50, 64, 49, and 40 as he drove in well over 100 runs each season. All told, he made seven all-star teams, won a home run derby, and took home six Silver Slugger awards. Sosa's Hall of Fame eligibility is understandably tainted by steroid use, but at the time his exploits were being celebrated by the sport. 

Third baseman Stan Hack was a Cubs lifer who starred for this organization in both the 1930s and 40s. Hack was never the power threat you would typically expect someone who plays the hot corner to be, instead relying on speed to be a productive table setter. In 16 seasons with the Cubs he slashed .301/.394/.397 and as a result of trying to steal a lot of bases, he owns the interesting distinction of leading the league in being caught stealing five years in a row. 

Woonsocket, RI native Gabby Hartnett made his first big league appearance over 100 years ago, in April 1922, and in his prime he was one of the best catchers in the game. Hartnett played 19 seasons for Chicago and earned a trip to six all-star games. He was named the 1935 NL MVP and was one of the first catchers to be an offensive force in the middle of his team's starting line-up. Hartnett was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1955. 

Righty Ferguson Jenkins pitched for four teams during his Major League career, but his best days clearly came in a Chicago Cubs uniform. With Chicago Jenkins started 247 games and pitched to a 3.20 ERA. He made three all-star teams with Chicago and won the 1971 NL Cy Young award. He led the league in complete games three times during his Cubs career, wins once, and innings once. Jenkins is Chicago's all-time leader in strikeouts with 2,038, and in 2009 the Cubs retired his number 31 in a joint ceremony with Greg Maddux who wore it later. Today the Canadian-born hurler is enshrined in Cooperstown with a Cubs hat atop his head. 

Chicago drafted right-hander Rick Reuschel in the 3rd round of the 1970 draft, and while the Western Illinois University product didn't develop into a star, he was a sturdy middle-of-the-rotation arm for this team for 12 years. In his dozen seasons with the Cubs Reuschel pitched to a 3.50 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP, and made three all-star teams. Ironically, despite leaving Chicago when he was 36 years old, the best years of his career came at the end of it, first with Pittsburgh and then San Francisco. 

Mordecai Brown was the best pitcher on the Chicago staff in the early part of the previous century, and was an integral part of a Cubs team that won back-to-back World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. The righty incredibly--by today's context--won over 20 games in six consecutive seasons, and threw over 2,300 innings with Chicago 10 times. He won the ERA title in '06 and threw a complete game in 206 of his 241 starts. Brown was selected into the Hall of Fame in 1949. 

Clark Griffith was a pitcher for Chicago well over a hundred years ago and also played some outfield. His primary value came on the mound, however, where the righty registered 20+ wins in six consecutive seasons and won the ERA title in 1898. Griffith led the league with 38 complete games in 1897 and was elected into the Pioneer/Executive Hall of Fame in 1946. 

Right-handed hitting Frank Chance played first base, catcher, and outfield for Chicago at the turn of the last century, and helped the franchise win the World Series in both 1907 and 1908. Chance spent the first 15 seasons of his career with Chicago before finishing his career with the Yankees, but the bulk of his playing days obviously came with the Cubs. With Chicago he slashed .297/.394/.395 in 1275 games, while hitting 20 homers and driving in 590 runs. He was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1946. 

Joe Tinker was the Cubs shortstop for a decade in the early 1900s, and like so many players on this list, he won World Series rings in 1907 and 1908. With Chicago, Tinker was just a .259 lifetime hitter with very little power, but he was a smooth defender at a premium position. Tinker stole over 20 bases in all 11 of his seasons with the Cubs and is 5th on the team's all-time list in base thefts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1946. 

Mark Grace won a World Series title as a member of the Diamondbacks at the tail end of his career, but the bulk of his playing days was spent with the Cubs and he was absolutely beloved in the Windy City. In 13 seasons in Chicago, Grace slashed .308/.386/.445 and despite never homering more than 17 times in a single season, he was consistently a productive middle-of-the-order bat. The first baseman drove in over 80 runs six times for the Cubs--and finished with 79 in two other seasons. Despite not hitting all that many home runs he was a doubles machine and led the league in two base hits in '95 with 51. Grace made three all-star teams and won four Gold Glove awards with the Cubs, and was a player whose value transcended his statistics. 

Big right-hander Carlos Zambrano debuted for the Cubs in 2001, and before long had become the ace of the team's pitching staff. In 319 outings for Chicago "Big Z" won 125 games with a strong 3.60 ERA, while pitching in three all-star games. He threw over 200 innings for the Cubs in five straight seasons from '03-'07 and his value actually extended beyond the pitcher's mound. Zambrano was an excellent hitter, and crushed 23 homers during his Cubs career, helping to earn himself three Silver Slugger awards. 

Righty Grover Cleveland Alexander won more games and threw more innings in Philadelphia, but the middle portion of his career was spent in Chicago, where he left quite a lasting impression. In nine years with the Cubs, Alexander won 128 games with a 2.84 ERA while completing 158 of his 224 starts and winning two ERA titles. He led the league in strikeouts in 1920 to help secure his 5th pitching Triple Crown--the first four of which came in Philly. Alexander was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1938. 

On a list of great Cubs, second baseman Billy Herman is no Ryne Sandberg, but for nearly the entirety of the 1930's, he was an incredible asset for Chicago at position number four on your scorecard. In 11 seasons in the Windy City, Herman slashed .309/.366/.417 with 37 homers, 577 RBI, 346 doubles, and 69 triples. He wore a Cubs hat in eight all-star games, led the league in hits once, triples once, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 by the Veteran's Committee. 

Left-handed starting pitcher Hippo Vaughn arrived in Chicago in 1913, and unbeknownst to the Cubs, they had acquired themselves a legitimate ace. Vaughn won 20 or more games in five of his first six full seasons with Chicago, and won the pitching Triple Crown in 1918. He led the Majors in innings in both '18 and '19, and tossed over 290 frames in six of seven years from 1914-1920. 

Left-handed swinging second baseman Johnny Evers played for the Cubs in the early part of the 1900's, and helped Chicago win back-to-back World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. In 12 seasons with the Cubs Evers slashed .276/.354/.345 with 183 doubles and 291 stolen bases. Speed was unquestionably his most valuable trait, as evidenced by the fact that he hit only nine homers in over 1400 games with Chicago. The Old Timers Committee selected Evers to the Hall of Fame in 1946. 

Yale product Bill Hutchison landed in Chicago in 1889 when this franchise was still known as the Chicago White Stockings, and for a seven-year period was among the best pitchers in the game. The righty started an absolutely absurd 194 games in a three-year span, tossing over 561 innings in all three seasons. He led the league in wins in every one of those campaigns, and in just seven seasons with Chicago earned 180 victories. With what we know about arm injuries and arm care today, reading Hutchison's stat line is insane, and it should come as no surprise that his career ended after just nine years. 

Outfielder Bill Nicholson debuted for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936 for a small cup of coffee, but his first real big league opportunity came three years later in Chicago. With the Cubs Nicholson was given a chance to play regularly, and took full advantage almost immediately. The left handed hitting slugger made five all-star teams while with the Cubs, and led the league in both homers and RBI in consecutive seasons in 1943 and 1944. 

Right-hander Charlie Root worked as both a starter and a reliever for the Cubs for 16 seasons and was a key piece of their pitching staff for a decade and a half. In 605 total appearances for Chicago, Root earned 201 victories with a 3.55 ERA, while working over 3,100 innings. Despite not pitching for the team for over 80 years, Charlie Root is still this franchise's all time pitching leader in games and innings. 

On a franchise that began so long ago and has such a rich history, most of the names discussed in this gallery had finished their playing careers long before anybody reading this was born. But that is emphatically not the case with first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The 33-year-old is still very much an active player--he know resides in the Bronx--but for 10 years Rizzo was essentially the face of the Chicago Cubs. The left-handed swinging veteran earned trips to three all-star games while with Chicago, won a Silver Slugger, and was named a four-time Gold Glove winner--and even took home a Platinum Glove in one of those years. He crushed 30 or more homers in four straight seasons with the Cubs, and has four 100+ RBI campaigns on his resume. Most importantly, Rizzo was instrumental in the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series, and for that he'll always be immortal in the Windy City.