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 Cubs won 92 Games and went to the playoffs, though they fell to the Milwaukee Brewers in five Games in the Wild Card Series.  As the team is over 100 years old but laden with young players, there were no new entrants and no movement among players who played at Wrigley last year.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a slight change.

1. Cap Anson
2. Ernie Banks
3. Ryne Sandberg
4. Ron Santo
5. Billy Williams

You can find the entire list https://www.notinhalloffame.com/baseball/top-50-baseball-players-by-franchise/top-50-chicago-cubs">here.

The new algorithm has led us to revise the list, with the most notable change in the top five, where Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg 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 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 Cubs.

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 Cubs did not make the playoffs, but there was one new entrant in the top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Cap Anson

2. Ernie Banks

3. Ryne Sandberg

4. Ron Santo

5. Billy Williams

You can find the entire list here.

The only addition was World Series Champion Pitcher, Kyle Hendricks, who edged in at #48.

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 Cubs.

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 not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Cubs had a poor season, and were unable to make the playoffs.  There were no changes to the Top 50, but we have to acknowledge that we looked at the past year.  

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Cap Anson

2. Ernie Banks

3. Ryne Sandberg

4. Ron Santo

5. Billy Williams

You can find the entire list here.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

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.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Chicago Cubs. 

When it comes to iconic sports teams in North America, few can come close to the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs first came into existence in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings would join the National League in 1876.  Before 1900, Chicago was one of the most successful teams.  Led by Cap Anson, Chicago would win the National League Pennant in 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885 & 1886.  They would go through a couple of name changes to the Colts, Orphans and would officially adopt the name of the Cubs in 1903.

The Cubs did well in the first decade of the 1900s where with stars like Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance, and Three Finger Brown and would win the World Series in 1907 and 1908.  That would begin the longest championship drought in sports.

You know the story.  The alleged curse of the goat.  Steve Bartman. 

It would take until 2016 when they would win the World Series again, although they did win the National League Pennant multiple times between them (1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 & 1945).  They also had Hall of Famers at that time, like Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg.

As of this writing, three World Series Championships is not very many for a team that has been around since the beginning, but again, how many organizations are as well-known as the Cubbies!

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 not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018-19 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Cap Anson

2. Ernie Banks

3. Ryne Sandberg

4. Ron Santo

5. Billy Williams

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our All-Time Top 50 Oakland Athletics coming next!

As always we thank you for your support.

When Billy Williams arrived at Wrigley Field, he brought with him a left-handed stroke so smooth and effortless that it earned him a nickname for the ages: "Sweet-Swinging Billy." But behind that picturesque mechanics was a player carved out of granite. Williams didn't just play for the Cubs; he was their heartbeat, a fixture in the lineup so dependable that manager Leo Durocher famously said he didn't pencil Billy’s name in—he wrote it in ink.

His journey began with a bang in 1961, when he captured the National League Rookie of the Year Award with a 25-homer campaign. It was the start of a historic run of consistency that saw him blast at least 20 home runs for 13 consecutive seasons. The pinnacle arrived in 1970, an "Iron Man" year where he led the NL in hits (205) and runs (137) while launching a career-high 42 home runs. He finished as the MVP runner-up that year, a feat he would repeat in 1972 when he claimed the National League Batting Title with a .333 average and led the circuit in slugging. In any other era, Williams would have walked away with a shelf full of trophies; instead, he frequently found himself as the "best in the world,” standing just a half-step behind Johnny Bench.

Perhaps most remarkably, Williams set a National League record by playing in 1,117 consecutive games between 1963 and 1970. He didn't just show up; he produced at an elite level while refusing to take a day off, a streak that showcased mental toughness often overlooked because of his soft-spoken nature. He was the quiet engine of a legendary core that included Banks, Santo, and Jenkins, a team that flirted with greatness but never quite reached the October summit.

In late 1974, with the Cubs looking to rebuild, Williams was traded to the Oakland Athletics in a deal that finally gave the veteran a taste of the postseason. He left Chicago with 392 home runs and 2,510 hits, a statistical titan who never lost his humble edge. The franchise rightfully hoisted his number 26 to the foul pole in 1987, the same year he took his place in Cooperstown. He arrived as a rookie sensation and left as "Mr. Consistency," the man who proved that being "sweet-swinging" didn't mean you weren't as tough as they come.