1. Lee Smith: 180 saves
Lee Smith was arguably the best relief pitcher to put on a Cubs uniform. In addition to leading the franchise with 180 saves, Smith is currently third on the all-time list with 478 and he led the league in that statistic at the time of his retirement in 1997. Smith began his career with the Cubs after the team selected him in the second round of the 1975 draft. He made it to the big leagues in 1980, where he spent the next 8 seasons in Chicago where he established himself as the team's closer soon after Sutter left the team for St. Louis.
Smith was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019 with a career ERA of 3.03 and 1251 strikeouts in 1289.1 innings pitched.