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.

In the long, often heartbreaking history of the Chicago Cubs, there is one name that serves as a permanent northern star: Ernie Banks. He didn't just play for the Cubs; he became the personification of the "Friendly Confines." Arriving late in 1953 as the franchise's first Black player, Banks didn't just break a barrier, he built a monument. His story is one of pure, unadulterated joy, famously captured in his "Let’s play two!" mantra, even as the team around him struggled to find its footing.

His first act was a masterclass in power that redefined the shortstop position. By 1955, Banks had hit 44 home runs, signaling the arrival of the most potent middle-infield bat the National League had ever seen. The peak of this "Shortstop Era" arrived in 1958 and 1959, a back-to-back MVP tour de force where he launched 47 and 45 home runs, respectively. In those years, Banks wasn't just an All-Star; he was the most dangerous man in baseball, leading the league in RBIs twice and proving that a shortstop could carry an entire offense on his back.

As the 1960s began, the physical toll of the "six-hole" forced a move to first base, but the legend only grew. While he traded some of that historic power for veteran stability, he remained a metronome of production, churning out seven more seasons of 20-plus homers. When he finally hung up the cleats in 1971, he had amassed 512 home runs, all in a Cubs uniform, and 2,583 hits. He joined the elite 500-home run club not as a mercenary, but as a "Lifer" who never entertained the idea of playing anywhere else.

The final chapters of his story were written in bronze and retired jerseys. Elected to Cooperstown on his first ballot in 1977, Banks became the first Cub to have his number (14) hoisted onto the left-field foul pole. When the team finally inaugurated its own Hall of Fame in 2021, his inclusion was the easiest decision in the history of the front office. He arrived as a pioneer in a divided city and left as "Mr. Cub," the man who taught generations of fans that regardless of the score, it was always a beautiful day for a ballgame.