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

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.