CI’s Cubs All-Quarter-Century Team

Now that Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee have been inducted into the Cubs’ Hall of Fame, I thought it would be fun to create the franchise’s All-Quarter-Century team. Most of the names included played on the 2003 and ’16 teams, and some are surprises. The list is based on statistics only, so though I believe Aroldis Chapman is the best closer Chicago has had since the 2000 season, he didn’t make the squad.

Catcher: Willson Contreras (20.7 WAR) – In full disclosure, I am not a fan of Contreras and the last Cubs catcher I actually liked was Jody Davis. I don’t mind that Contreras plays for the Cardinals now, but he was a bit of an ass about leaving when he signed with St. Louis. He played with the Cubs for seven seasons, slashing .256/.349/.808 with 117 home runs and 365 RBI. Though he’s no longer a top-10 catcher, he still gets on base at an above-average clip, something the current Cubs sorely miss. His .380 OBP in 2024 was better than any of Chicago’s starters at any position.

Honorable Mention: I always loved Michael Barrett. He started his career with the Expos and was worth six wins in three seasons in Chicago, plus threw a right-handed hook that would have made Joe Frazier jealous.

First Base: Anthony Rizzo (36.7) – Lee deserves the honor as much as Rizzo, but the latter is just a little better. Rizzo was one of the most consistent hitters in team history until back injuries started to negatively impact his performance. In his prime, you could count on 30+ doubles and 30+ home runs every season from the three-time All-Star. He won four Gold Gloves and topped 30 home runs and 100 RBI four times in his Cubs career. Rizzo also struck out Freddie Freeman in a very memorable relief role. It’s doubtful any of the 2016 Cubs will make the Hall of Fame, but Rizzo will garner a few votes.

Honorable Mention: Lee was at his best during his tenure with the Cubs, finishing with a .903 OPS. He struck out at a measly 17.9% clip, a rarity in today’s game, and hit .435 in 23 postseason at-bats. I’d still take Rizzo, but nobody should be faulted for selecting Lee.

Second Base: Nico Hoerner (15.1) – The Cubs have lacked consistency at the keystone since Ryne Sandberg retired, so Hoerner is the pick. He does a lot of things well, but he’s still a league-average hitter overall. Hoerner hit .283 in 2023 and .273 in 2024. It’s worth noting that stolen bases are not part of the OPS+ calculation, and Hoerner has swiped 94 bases over the last three seasons while being caught just 15 times. Hoerner won a Gold Glove in 2023 but wasn’t a finalist this year.

Honorable Mention: Mark Bellhorn had 27 home runs for the Cubs in 2002 but averaged less than five big flies per year in the other nine of his 10 seasons. Juiced ball or juiced player? Who cares. Bellhorn was fun to watch in ’02 before he was traded for José Hernández the following season. Todd Walker and Mark DeRosa deserve some consideration as well.

Shortstop: Javier Báez (21.6) – You can make a case that Báez was Chicago’s best shortstop since Ernie Banks. El Mago was always worth the price of admission and then some. His swing was so powerful that his strikeouts were equally thrilling and maddening. His epic battle with Christian Yelich for NL MVP in 2018 was the highlight of the season, Chicago’s last as a National League powerhouse. Báez hasn’t been the same player since he left Chicago, and that’s too bad. He’ll be fighting Gleyber Torres for playing time in Detroit this season. Oh, the irony.

Honorable Mention: None, though Dansby Swanson might change my way of thinking before his career ends.

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Third Base: Kris Bryant (27.7) – The former MVP and Rookie of the Year was the best Cubs third baseman since Aramis Ramirez and Ron Santo. Bryant hit 160 of his 184 career home runs while playing for Chicago, earned four All-Star nominations in seven seasons, and led the Cubs to a World Series championship in 2016. Like Báez, he’s struggled since leaving Chicago, mostly due to injuries. The franchise changed when Theo Epstein drafted Bryant No. 2 overall in 2013. Expectations will always be higher because of the Cubs’ run with Bryant, Báez, and Rizzo.

Honorable Mention: None, give me a break. Fingers crossed for Matt Shaw, however.

Left Fielder: Ian Happ (17.7) – You may remember that Happ was drafted as a second baseman, but he’s found his niche in left field. Easily one of the more underrated players in team history, Happ has earned three Gold Gloves since switching to the outfield. He’s eclipsed 20 home runs four times in eight seasons, including his rookie year when he hit 24.

Honorable Mention: Moisés Alou deserves a nod, but I liked Henry Rodríguez more.

Center Fielder: Dexter Fowler (6.4) – You go, we go, right? I can’t remember a great center fielder that played for the Cubs in my lifetime. Fowler easily makes the top five in team history behind Hack Wilson, Andy Pafko, Jimmy Ryan, and Rick Monday. I have always had an affinity for Jose Cardenal, too. Is it still too soon to bring up Lou Brock? He’s a Hall of Fame left fielder but played center in Chicago for two seasons before being traded to the Cardinals. Brock was worth six wins in 1964, the year he was traded for Ernie Broglio.

Honorable Mention: Cody Bellinger should be the choice, but I’ll take Pete Crow-Armstrong. The sophomore center fielder has the potential to eclipse Fowler’s career WAR in just one season. PCA has a skillset similar to Jacoby Ellsbury, with a fiery persona reminiscent of Lenny Dykstra. I hope I didn’t just jinx Crow-Armstrong’s career.

Right Fielder: Sosa (25.8) – Welcome back, Sammy! Sosa earned those 25+ wins across five majestic seasons. From 2000-04, Sosa belted 238 home runs with 589 RBI. He hit 64 taters and plated 160 runners in 2001, when he led the league with 37 intentional walks. Sosa is also the only player in MLB history to hit 60 or more home runs in three separate seasons. He still hasn’t specifically admitted to juicing, but his apology was sincere enough to end his estrangement from the team.

Honorable Mention: I like Seiya Suzuki more than most. Sosa casts a tall shadow, but Suzuki is Chicago’s second-best right fielder of the 21st century.

Starting Rotation: If I had to pick the five best starters over the past 25 years, I’d take Kerry Wood, Jake Arrieta, Mark Prior, Jon Lester, and Kyle Hendricks. That said, Carlos Zambrano is the Cubs’ best starter statistically. It’s also tough to eliminate Ryan Dempster. I could move Wood and Dempster to the bullpen, where both were effective closers. I don’t want to get that creative, so just give me my original five.

Honorable Mention: I always loved Ted Lilly, who was a lot better than you may remember. He’s among the top  10of the past 25 years, so he gets a spot in the team photo.

Closer: Carlos Mármol – It should be Chapman, but Mármol gets the spot thanks to 117 saves across eight seasons, with 110 from 2009-12. The dude finished 70 games in 2010 and blew just three leads. That’s nails, baby.

Subjective Pick: Chapman was the best closer the Cubs have ever had based on pure talent. Let’s not forget, however, that Mike Montgomery recorded the biggest save in team history.

Manager: Joe Maddon (471-331) – The Cubs have had six great managers in their nearly 150-year history. Cap Anson managed Chicago from 1879-97 and won 1,283 games. Frank Chance was 768-389 from 1905-12 and fielded two World Series champions. Joe McCarthy is better known as the manager of the New York Yankees, where he won seven championships from 1931-46, but he was 442-321 in five seasons with the Cubs starting in 1926. Hall of Famer Charlie Grimm won 534 games in seven seasons starting in 1932 and Leo Durocher won 535 contests from 1966-72. The Cubs have had 62 managers, including Craig Counsell, but only Chance and Maddon have won a World Series.

Honorable Mention: I don’t prefer Lou Piniella over Maddon, but I sure do miss him.