Who Are Chicago Sports’ Ten Best Professional Athletes?

2. Jaylon Johnson – CB – Chicago Bears

Since being drafted by the Bears in 2020, Jaylon Johnson has been one of the premier “lockdown” defensive backs in the NFL.

After a solid first three seasons, Johnson took the jump from good to great in 2023. That season he received his first Pro Bowl selection, was named to the All-Pro second team, and was PFF’s highest graded cornerback on the year. In 2024, while he took a step back in production, he was still named a Pro Bowler and was a top-20 graded cornerback.

For a Bears defense that has been up and down for the last couple of years, Johnson has been one of the few true standouts of the unit.

3. Justin Steele – SP – Chicago Cubs

Does Justin Steele have an argument to be the number one player on this list? Absolutely. Does him suffering a season-ending injury in 2025 hurt his ranking? Unfortunately, yes.

For the last couple of seasons, Justin Steele has not only been one of the most consistent players in the Cubs rotation, but in all of baseball. In 2023 and 2024, Steele was the only pitcher in the entire MLB that posted below a 3.10 ERA in both seasons.

While Steele is never going to blow you away with high strikeout numbers or “off the charts” velocity, there is a lot of value in being a consistent pitcher. Unfortunately for Steele, it’s going to be a while until we see him back on the mound after he suffered every pitchers worst nightmare — a torn UCL that will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025 season.

4. Shota Imanaga – SP – Chicago Cubs

Already our third Chicago Cub of the list, Shota Imanaga has burst onto the MLB scene after coming over from Japan in the 2023-24 offseason.

Imanaga was a highly sought after product when he hit the open market in 2023, and he has so far shown exactly why. In his lone full MLB season, Imanaga posted the league’s ninth-best ERA of 2.91 and finished top five in both Cy-Young voting as well as Rookie of the Year voting.

Imanaga was off to a similar start this year, boasting 2.82 ERA in eight outings. However, a hamstring injury forced the Cubs to place him on the IL until mid-June, according to manager Craig Counsell. With Steele out for the season, Imanaga will have the chance to prove he can be an ace-level pitcher when he returns to the rotation.

5. DJ Moore – WR – Chicago Bears

Despite never being selected to a Pro Bowl, DJ Moore has routinely been one of the most productive pass catchers in the NFL since entering the league in 2018. In fact, since being drafted, Moore is sixth among all receivers in total yards with 7,531.

In his seven seasons in the NFL, Moore has surpassed 1,000 yards four times. He’s only been under 800 yards one time — his rookie season. Through his first two years in Chicago, Moore has amassed 2,330 yards and 14 touchdowns, leading the team in both categories.

After signing an extension with the the Bears through 2029, Moore figures to be the alpha in Chicago’s receiving room for years to come.

6. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF – Chicago Cubs

It may only be 49 games into the season, but it seems like the 23-year old outfielder is becoming the superstar many hoped he would blossom into.

Coming off of a rough 2024 season, there were a lot of question marks surrounding PCA’s game. Sure he was a great fielder and baserunner, but could he hit at the major-league level? So far in 2025, he’s answered that question with a capital YES — slashing .279/.313/.553 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI’s. On top of his hitting, PCA’s defense has been spectacular.

According to Baseball Savant, PCA has been the most valuable defender in all of baseball in 2025. He’s also already stolen 14 bases and leads the entire National League in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 3.0. It’s a small sample size, but PCA has been nothing short of outstanding in year number three.

7.  Seiya Suzuki – OF/DH – Chicago Cubs

Noticing a trend? The Cubs are currently the best professional team in Chicago, and it’s not particularly close.

Suzuki, another international prospect, was signed by the Chicago Cubs out of Japan back in 2022. Since coming to the MLB, he has been one of the premier hitters in baseball with a career OPS+ of 129 (MLB average is 100). Outside of his first year in the Majors, Suzuki has never finished the season with an OPS below .800.

This season he’s been off to another fast start with 12 home runs. He currently leads the NL in RBI’s with 43.

8. Coby White – G – Chicago Bulls

The lone Chicago Bull on this list, Coby White has blossomed from a 9.7 points per game player just two seasons ago to one of the more exciting young guards in the NBA.

In 2025, White notched career highs in both PPG (20.4) and FG% (.453). After the Bulls traded away veteran guards Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, it was White who stepped up as the team’s number one option. After the All-Star Break, White averaged 24.5 PPG, which was more than notable names such as Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyler Herro.

While there is many questions about the Bulls future, one thing remains certain — Coby White is a star.

9. Ian Happ – OF – Chicago Cubs

Ian Happ may be one of the most overlooked players in all of MLB. The one-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner has cemented himself as one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball.

Does he do anything flashy? Maybe not, but he’s the model of consistency. In each of the last three seasons, his OPS has been between .780 and .795; not elite, but well above league average. The key to Happ being an effective hitter is his ability to draw walks. Even when he’s slumping, it often doesn’t feel that way because he gets on base so often. In 2024, Happ drew the fifth most amount of walks in the MLB with 80. 

Pair that with his elite glove in left field, and he’s the kind of player any team would love to have.

10. Caleb Williams – QB – Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams didn’t have the breakout rookie campaign that many hoped he would in 2024. However, he still put together one of the more productive seasons from a rookie quarterback in NFL history, and showed many flashes as to why he was the consensus number one overall pick.

If you just look at the stats, Williams was productive in 2024 — 3,541 yards, a 62.5 % completion rate, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Now there’s always more to the story than what the stats show, but the numbers are impressive.

With the additions of Luther Burden, Colston Loveland and the improvements to the offensive line, it’s possible we see Williams take the jump to becoming a franchise quarterback in 2025.