3 Cubs legends that must be featured in MLB The Show 22

3. Carlos Zambrano can bring electric pitching and personality to the game

When we’re talking about adding personality to the game, it’s hard to find a better choice than Carlos Zambrano. I mentioned earlier how Lee, Prior, Wood, and Ramirez helped define the 2000s Cubs, but I neglected to mention one of the most colorful characters from that era. Big Z is absolutely the kind of fun pitcher that offers a bit of everything that would be such a boon for MLB The Show.

Zambrano is not the most decorated pitcher in Cubs history. Despite three top-five finishes in Cy Young voting, he really doesn’t stack up to the best of the best throughout the franchise. Love for the big righty has seemed to wane over the years as he’s fallen somewhat to the background behind his rotation-mates Prior and Wood. All told though, he’s still an incredibly interesting candidate for a place in The Show.

Despite only a 12-year MLB career, Big Z accrued an impressive 43.9 WAR with a career 3.66 ERA. While he could certainly lack control, he found a lot of success in spite of it, posting his best ERA of 2.75 the same season he led the league in hit batters. Were this a previous edition of MLB The Show pre-universal DH, Zambrano’s hitting prowess would’ve also played into his value too. With three Silver Sluggers, he could’ve proven a popular card for simply having better hitting stats.

There’s no doubt in my mind what kind of card Sony San Diego would give Big Z: a milestone card for his neutral ground no-hitter adorned with the iconic image of the pitcher on one knee, both hands pointed toward the sky. No singular moment defines Zambrano’s career more than that. Despite wildness and a lack of sheer dominance that matched the heights of his peers, Zambrano could still meet the moment and give Cubs fans a lot to cheer for.

You could make a case for a lot of Cubs legends to make the latest edition of MLB The Show. These three represent not just an important piece of franchise history, but players that have the potential to be fun when translated to the game while appealing to everyone who remembers their names. Hopefully, some new Northsiders will make the cut when MLB The Show 22 drops on April 5.