Ranking the top five Chicago Cubs leadoff hitters in history

The Chicago Cubs don’t have a clear-cut leadoff hitter heading into 2019. But to get an idea as to what a prolific leadoff hitter would look like, here’s a list of the top five leadoff hitters in Cubs history.

When you think of the Chicago Cubs, there aren’t many great leadoff hitters that come to mind. They haven’t had the luxury of having a Hall of Fame caliber player bat at the top of the lineup like Rickey Henderson, Ichiro Suzuki or Craig Biggio. These guys were staples for their franchises for nearly a decade or more. In their history, the Cubs may have had one guy like that.

Instead, the Cubs more often than not have a platoon at the top of the order or look for magic in a bottle. Sometimes it’s worked in their favor, and other times it’s failed miserably, I mean, we all know the Kyle Schwarber experiment certainly didn’t work out.

Around baseball, the definition of the leadoff man has changed over the years and from team to team. The leadoff man used to be someone who would always work a strong at-bat, get on base at whatever the cost and score runs for your team. Nowadays teams look for leadoff guys to even have power in that spot, guys that can start the game off with a bang to give your team an early lead.

The Cubs have had a lot of different leadoff men over the years, each of whom brought something different to the table. Some enjoyed long runs of success at the top of the lineup while others crashed and burned. Here’s a rundown of the five best leadoff men the Cubs have ever had.

Chicago Cubs: Brian McRae

From 1995 to 1997 Brian McRae was the Cubs everyday leadoff hitter. Those were arguably the best three years of his 10-year career as the switch hitter brought a little bit of everything to table.

During his time in Chicago, McRae showed flashes of power and speed while getting on base at a high rate. He had an on-base percentage of .345, hit .273 at the plate and scored 239 runs. He also hit 33 home runs while stealing 71 bases.

His second season with the Cubs in 1996 was his best in the big leagues. He recorded 171 hits, 17 of them home runs, scored 111 runs and swiped 37 bases. Out of the leadoff spot he also managed to drive in 66 RBIs. He was second in hits that year behind only Mark Grace and led the Cubs in stolen bases.

McRae was a solid player who put up good numbers but never played for a playoff team throughout his entire career. If the Cubs teams he was on had made the playoffs or if he was a part of a special run, perhaps he would be better remembered. In 1997 the Cubs were in last place and traded McRae to the New York Mets.

Chicago Cubs: Bob Dernier

The fourth of best leadoff hitter in Cubs history goes to the first part of what was known as the “Daily Double,” Bob Dernier. Dernier hit in front of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg during the 1984 season in which the Cubs won the National League East Division Title.

Dernier was a huge reason for the Cubs success during the 1984 season as he had the best year of his career. He posted a career-high .276 batting average to go along with 147 hits. Dernier was also a significant threat on the bases as he led the Cubs with 45 stolen bases.

The center fielder did a great job of setting the table for the Cubs offense as he got on base at a clip of .356 while scoring 93 runs. He had a great eye at the plate and rarely struck out. In 1984 he only struck out 60 times while he walked 63 times. He was also a huge part of what was known as the “Sandberg Game” as he went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBI and four runs scored. He drew a walk with two outs in the 10th inning before Sandberg hit his second game-tying home run in as many innings.

Dernier was much more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, as on the year he hit just three home runs. Despite that, Dernier led off the Cubs first postseason against the San Diego Padres with a solo home run on the second pitch he saw. The Cubs ended up winning that game 13-0 but wound up losing the series.

Chicago Cubs: Dexter Fowler

This Cubs leadoff hitter was one of the most critical pieces on the way to ending the Cubs 108 year World Series drought. Along the way, he became the only player in major league history to lead off Game 7 of the World Series with a home run. You guessed it, the second greatest leadoff hitter in the history of the Cubs is non-other than Dexter Fowler.

In 2016, Fowler was the catalyst for getting the Cubs offense going. He set the table every game for what was a dangerous Cubs offense that year. He posted a .393 on-base percentage and a .277 batting average. He brought a different dynamic to the leadoff spot with some power, as he hit 13 home runs that year. That was something the Cubs hadn’t seen since Alfonso Soriano hit leadoff for them back in 2007 and 2008. Fowler was also a very patient hitter at the plate and wore down a lot of pitchers. He had no problem taking a walk, (79) but also struck out 124 times, more than you’d like from your leadoff hitter.

While Fowler’s 2016 season surely isn’t one of the best statistical seasons, it’s definitely one of the most important. If Fowler doesn’t come back to the Cubs, I’m not so sure they win the World Series without him. He completely solidified the leadoff spot for that team, and that is undeniable at this point. Since Fowler left after winning the World Series, the Cubs have yet to find someone to replace him at the top of the order, and the offense has not been the same.

Fowler’s stay in Chicago was short and sweet. He was only here for two years but because of what he helped the Cubs accomplish he will never be forgotten, and the fans will always thank him for helping bring a World Series trophy back to Chicago. For me, I’ll always remember him rounding first base backward as he stared into the Cubs dugout following his Game 7 leadoff home run in the World Series.

Chicago Cubs: Stan Hack

The single greatest leadoff hitter in Cubs history is the often forgotten about Stan Hack. I say that Hack is often forgotten about because he played back in the ’30s and ’40s and many of us probably never even watched him play. But in his 16 seasons spent with the Cubs, he put up insane numbers out of the leadoff spot year after year.

Hack was everything you looked for out of a leadoff hitter and more. He set the table for the Cubs offense by getting on base any way he could. He could certainly hit the ball but also had the patience to see a lot of pitches and take a walk. When he got on base, he seemingly came around to score just about every time.

Throughout his career with the Chicago Cubs, 74 percent of his plate appearances came out of the leadoff spot. As a leadoff hitter, Hack had a .398 on-base percentage to go along with a .302 batting average while scoring 940 runs. He was a five-time All-Star and helped lead the Cubs to four World Series appearances, although they lost each time.

Hack naturally excelled at getting on base. He had great patience and vision at the plate as he walked more than twice as much as he struck out. Out of the leadoff spot, he walked 850 times compared to just 340 strikeouts, which nowadays is something you never see anymore. With how often Hack was on base he scored 100 runs or more in seven seasons.

At the plate he recorded 190 hits four times in his career, hitting over .300 in his six seasons.  Hack ended up leading the league in hits in both 1940 and 1941. Hack was a great contact hitter but didn’t feature much power. In his career, he only hit 43 home runs and only led off a game twice with a long ball.