10 best single season performances by Chicago Cubs players in the last decade

After a century of underperforming in their limited playoff appearances, The Chicago Cubs turned a corner in the 2010s and finally fielded a consistent team for several consecutive years. Although things got off to a slow start when Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took over the front office in 2011, the Cubs were a force to be reckoned with in the National League by the middle of the decade.

This playoff window was possible by the pieces put in place by Epstein and company, whether it be through trades or the high draft picks from the bad years (2010-2014). These players not only broke the 108-year-old curse, but some of them turned in a few of the greatest single season performances in franchise history. Let's look at some of the outstanding seasons Cubs players have had in the last 10 years.

10. Nick Castellanos 2019

So technically I'm cheating a little with this entry because Nick Castellanos was acquired by the Cubs at the 2019 trade deadline and he only played 51 games with them. However, he made quite a lasting impression in that short period of time and he provided some extra thump in a lineup that already included prime and healthy sluggers like Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Willson Contreras. In those 51 games, the former Detroit Tiger hit .321 with an OPS of 1.002, while slapping 16 home runs and 21 doubles. Castellanos also led the league in doubles that year with a commanding 58 on the season. Although the Cubs missed the postseason in 2019, Castellanos was a fun addition to the team and he had some LOUD hits down the stretch that year.

8. Anthony Rizzo 2014

Anthony Rizzo was a power-hitting rock in the Cubs lineup for nearly a decade, and during that time he smacked 242 Home Runs in a Cubs uniform. In his 2014 season, then-24-year-old Rizzo posted the highest single-season WAR of his career to date at 5.3. Even though his numbers in 2015 were almost identical, 2014 was when the Cubs were still not a competing team. However, Rizzo proved that he was willing to give it his all every day, which led to him being a clear leader when the pieces started to come together in 2015 and 2016. I think this was solidified during the 2014 campaign not only through Rizzo's on-field production but through an incident with the Cincinnati Reds where the Cubs' first baseman boldly confronted the entire opposing dugout over an incident with future teammate Aroldis Chapman.

7. Kris Bryant 2017

Although many may think Kris Bryant's career has been steadily declining since he won the NL MVP in 2016, a lot of his numbers were actually higher in 2017. While he didn't hit as many dingers or drive in as many runs, which may be in part because of the loss of leadoff man Dexter Fowler, Bryant progressed in several categories.

It's going to be hard for Bryant to replicate the flashy numbers from 2016, but he showed that he could still produce at a high level consistently when healthy. Although injuries and a general overhaul of the roster resulted in Bryant getting traded in 2021, I have a feeling that he will win comeback player of the year before his contract with the Rockies expires.

6. Anthony Rizzo 2016

Perhaps his most important and impressive season was the curse-breaking 2016 campaign, where Rizzo helped lead the Cubbies to a World Series Championship. In addition to being a respected teammate and leader in the clubhouse, Rizzo provided excellent on-field prowess with his bat and his glove. For his efforts in 2016, Rizzo collected a slew of personal accolades including a Platinum Glove, The NL Silver Slugger, Wilson Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Star appearance, and best social media personality. He also led the Cubs in RBIs (109), and doubles (43) and tied Kris Bryant for the highest team batting average (.292). His 5.2 WAR ranked 9th in the National League and third among first basemen.

Although he was traded at the 2021 deadline, Rizzo will be remembered as a crucial member of the Cubs in the 2010s, and the Cubs simply do not win a World Series without him in my opinion.

5. Javier Baez 2018

Although Baez broke into the majors in 2014, he did not start seeing regular playing time until 2016. His plate discipline has always been much to be desired, but his glove work and home run potential have always kept him in the starting lineup. His prowess on defense also garnered him the endearing nickname "El Mago," or the magician.

Although he shined in 2016 as the starting second basemen in the playoffs and secured himself an NLCS MVP award, the 2018 season is where Baez put it all together and it remains the best year of his career. The awards he collected while playing several infield positions include the NL Silver Slugger, his first All-Star and Home Run Derby appearances, and a 2nd place finish in MVP voting, where he fell short to division rival Christian Yelich. Baez also set career highs in most of the major offensive categories in 2018, including:

Home Runs: 34

RBIs: 111

Doubles: 40

Stolen Bases: 21

Batting Average: .290

OPS: .880

Fortunately, Baez continued to be elite in the defense and power departments up until the Cubs traded him to the Mets in 2021. Even though it was hard to see him go, that transaction brought prized prospect Pete-Crow Armstrong to the Cubs organization, who has been flashing arguably the best defensive ability among all outfield prospects in the Minor Leagues since being acquired by the Cubs.

4. Jon Lester 2016

Not only did the Cubs have an elite offense in 2016, but their starting rotation put up unbelievable numbers you would normally only see in MLB The Show. Just because I love looking at those stats, I will include them here for their glory to be showcased.

Kyle Hendricks: ERA 2.13, IP 190, SO 170

Jon Lester: ERA 2.44, IP 202.2, SO 197

Jake Arrieta: ERA 3.10, IP 197.1, SO 190

John Lackey: ERA 3.35, IP 188.1, SO 180

Jason Hammel: ERA 3.83, IP 166.2, SO 144

Usually having just one of your starters post a low 3 ERA is what you would typically expect, but the Cubs had four of their starters below the 3.50 mark, and all of them tossed close to 200 innings. The only one eclipsing the coveted 200 mark was the notorious workhorse, Jon Lester. When the Cubs signed Lester ahead of the 2015 season, it was a clear statement to the rest of the League that they were ready to compete. Although 2015 was by no means a bad year for the southpaw, Lester took things to another level in 2016, and his numbers speak for themselves.

Lester functioned as a reliable, inning-eating beast during most of his tenure as a Cub and they relied on his previous postseason success with the Red Sox to guide the staff in 2016. The emergence of Jake Arrieta as a second ace and the late-career renaissance of John Lackey was the icing on the cake as the stars aligned to give the Cubs one of the best starting rotations in recent memory. Lester finished the year with a 4.2 WAR and the second-lowest ERA in baseball behind the next guy on this list.

3. Kyle Hendricks 2016

Kyle Hendricks was nothing short of masterful in 2016. Not only did he sport the lowest ERA in the Majors (2.13), he did it while fooling batters with his changeup instead of blowing people away with a high-velocity fastball like a conventional ace would. His low velocity and unsuspecting demeanor kept Hendricks under the radar as a rookie and a prospect. Whether the Cubs knew his potential or not didn't really matter when the front office traded Ryan Dempster for him in what became one of the most successful trades in franchise history.

Although His dominance nabbed him an ERA title, Hendricks more importantly rode this success into his five postseason starts where he subdued some of the most formidable lineups in baseball to the tune of a 1.42 ERA. Most notable among these starts was the pennant-winning masterclass he twirled in Game 6 of the NLCS that secured the first World Series appearance for the Cubs since 1945. But let's not forget about his two World Series starts, where he gave up just one earned run in 10 innings of work against Cleveland, including Game 7.

2. Kris Bryant 2016

It's a shame that Kris Bryant will probably not be able to truly replicate what he did in 2016 because he set the bar very high. Although his subsequent seasons were undervalued by many, it's partially because his 2016 numbers were so phenomenal. Among all National League hitters, Bryant led them in WAR with a whopping 7.9 while cranking 39 long balls and driving in 102 runs.

The power numbers were superb, but Bryant was the whole package in his prime. His plate discipline got him on base at an exceptional clip of .385, and he also led the league in runs scored with 121. With the slugging dominance of Anthony Rizzo behind him in the lineup, Bryant was able to set the table for sustained offensive success in 2016. After getting an All-Star nod and a Home Run Derby appearance, Bryant secured the first MVP for the Cubs franchise since Sammy Sosa's historic 1998 season.

1. Jake Arrieta 2015

There was a stretch of time where Jake Arrieta looked inhuman on the mound. From June of 2015 to June of 2016, the man put up a god-like 1.13 in 30 starts. In two of those games, he was literally untouchable, as he collected a couple of no-hitters against the Dodgers and Reds respectively. But the Cy Young-winning 2015 season remains the crown jewel of Arrieta's career, as it was possibly one of the greatest pitching performances we will ever see a Cub perform.
Over a beefy 229 innings, Arrieta's final ERA in 2015 was an almost unrealistic 1.77, with a WHIP of 0.86 and a league-leading BAA of .185 to boot. From the All-Star break on, the man posted a 12-1 record with a 0.75 ERA in.

But the most legendary game Arrieta threw that year was not his no-hitter against the Dodgers, but his complete game shutout against the Pirates in the Wild Card game. Even though the Cubs won an impressive 96 games in 2015, they found themselves in 3rd place behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, spawning a division rival Wild Card game against the Buccos. On the ride to Pennsylvania, Arrieta allegedly made an announcement on the plane's PA system, where he assured his teammates that the Pirates were not winning that game. And he proceeded to deliver a dominant 11 strikeout gem to overpower a Pirates lineup that included Andrew McCutchen in his prime, and send the Cubs to the NLDS.