Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually. As such, we are delighted to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Chicago Cubs.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following:
1. Duration and Impact.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the Major League Baseball.
3. Advanced Statistics.
4. Playoff performance.
5. Their respective legacy on the team.
6. How successful the team was when he was there.
7. Respecting the era in which they played.
Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm. Please note that we have implemented this for the first time. This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.
Last year, the White Sox were awful, winning only 60 Games. None of the active players made a debut on the Top 50, nor were there any active players on the list.
As always, we present our top five, which saw a slight change.
1. Frank Thomas
2. Ed Walsh
3. Luke Appling
4. Ted Lyons
5. Red Faber
You can find the entire list here.
The new algorithm has led us to revise the list, with the most notable change in the top five, where Ed Walsh and Luke Appling flipped spots.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Chicago Whute Sox.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.
Last year, the White Soc posted only 41 wins and was one of the worst teams ever to disgrace the diamond. Nobody from the ’24 roster came close to breaking the top 50; however, there is one new entry, a former player who appears here based on the latest algorithm.
As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.
1. Frank Thomas
2. Luke Appling
3. Ed Walsh
4. Ted Lyons
5. Red Faber
You can find the entire list here.
With the new algorithm, Lee Tannehill enters at #49.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Chicago White Sox.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, the White Sox did not make the playoffs, and we had no new entrants. For the first time ever, the only change was lowering a player based on the past year!
As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:
1. Frank Thomas
2. Ed Walsh
3. Luke Appling
4. Ted Lyons
5. Red Faber
You can find the entire list here.
The only change was a first for us. Tim Anderson had such a bad season, that he dropped from #43 to #48. We have dropped players one spot before, this is unprecedented, especially for a team with as long as a history as the White Sox.
We thank you for your continued support for our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top Chicago White Sox.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, Chicago was not able to make the playoffs, but they were contenders. There were no new entrants, though one elevation.
As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:
1. Frank Thomas
2. Ed Walsh
3. Luke Appling
4. Ted Lyons
5. Red Faber
You can find the entire list here.
Shortstop, Tim Anderson, climbed from #50 to #43.
We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.
Ted Lyons arrived in Chicago in 1923 straight from the campus of Baylor University, trading a future law degree for a baseball glove. In a feat that remains almost unheard of in the modern era, Lyons bypassed the minor leagues entirely, making his professional debut at the Major League level. He spent his first two seasons acclimatizing in the bullpen before finding his stride as a starter in 1925. In those early years, he was a traditional power pitcher, racking up two 20-win seasons by the time he was 26. He was the young, hard-throwing future of the South Side, leading the American League in wins twice before the 1920s were out.
However, his run took a dramatic turn when the heavy workload began to take its toll. As arm injuries robbed him of his velocity, Lyons was forced into a total career reinvention. He didn't fade away; instead, he mastered the knuckleball and a diverse array of off-speed pitches, transforming into one of the most intelligent hurlers in the game. His control became his greatest weapon; he led the American League in the fewest walks per nine innings four times. He became so efficient that manager Jimmy Dykes famously pitched him only on Sundays, giving his aging arm a full week of rest, earning him the moniker "Sunday Teddy."
Lyons’ late-career peak is a masterclass in veteran savvy. At the age of 41, when most of his contemporaries had long since retired, Lyons authored his masterpiece: a 1942 season where he claimed his first and only ERA title with a career-best 2.10. He was a master of the "complete game," often finishing what he started in under two hours. Just as he reached this unexpected plateau, he traded his pinstripes for a military uniform and served three years in the Marines during World War II. He returned for one final, symbolic season at age 45, putting the finishing touches on a franchise-record 260 wins.
Ted Lyons left the game having never played for another organization, a lifer who bridged the gap between the post-Black Sox era and the post-war boom. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1955, and the White Sox eventually retired his number 16 in 1987. He arrived as a college kid with a fastball and left as the winningest pitcher in South Side history, proving that in baseball, as in law, the smartest man in the room usually wins.