Ranking 6 likely candidates for induction into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame

With the 2026 Cubs Convention right around the corner, let's turn our attention to an important part of Friday night's opening ceremonies: the announcement of this year's class of Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame inductees.

Last year, we saw former Cubs sluggers Sammy Sosa and Aramis Ramirez get the nod and, the year prior, it was Kerry Wood and Derrek Lee. Given the early 2010s were a dark time marked by the teardown (both of the organizational infrastructure and much of Wrigley Field and the surrounding area), I'm not expecting much to come from that era.

But, as we all know, things changed in 2015 - and the next players to receive their blue Cubs Hall of Fame jackets will likely come from that era.

5 former Cubs destined to earn a spot in the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame

6 - Jake Arrieta

At his peak, Jake Arrieta was capable of doing things on the mound only a handful of pitchers in baseball history have accomplished. His second-half run in 2015 was the stuff of legends: a 12-1 record in 15 starts, with a 0.75 ERA and 113 Ks in 107 1/3 innings of work. He picked up right where he left off to open the 2016 campaign before coming back to earth a bit, but, man - what a run.

The bearded right-hander threw just under 900 regular-season innings in his two stints with the Cubs, working to a 3.14 ERA. And let's not forget. This is the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner - and the architect of not one, but two no-hitters, as well. There's a spot on the wall for this former feared Chicago hurler.

5 - Ben Zobrist

World Series MVP. The man who delivered the biggest hit in Chicago Cubs history. You know he had to make an appearance on this list. Ben Zobrist, the team's versatile jack-of-all-trades from 2016-2019, will always be synonymous with that championship-winning team.

After winning a World Series in 2015 with the Royals, Zobrist came to Chicago on a four-year deal and immediately thrived after being reunited with Maddon, his former skipper in Tampa Bay. He earned an All-Star selection in 2016 and put up huge numbers against Cleveland in the Fall Classic. His run had some ups and downs (and an unceremonious conclusion), but it feels safe to say Zo will join Cubs royalty at some point soon.

4 - Joe Maddon

When Theo Epstein pried Joe Maddon away from the Tampa Bay Rays, everything changed in the minds of Cubs fans. We had the guy - the one who always did more with less and was going to take us all the way. And then, he actually did it.

Maddon led a young, scrappy 2015 Cubs team to a surprise NLCS appearance en route to Manager of the Year honors - the third and final time he won the award in his career. Then, he followed it up by guiding the club to its first World Series title in 108 years, erasing generations of disappointment in the process.

Although the dynasty never materialized, the Cubs never had a losing season under Maddon - falling below the 92-win mark only once, his final season in 2019. He set the tone and lived up to the expectations, never letting the pressure exceed the pleasure. Here's to Broad Street Joe.

3 - Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks' sheer body of work in a Cubs uniform punches his ticket for the team's Hall of Fame. Over 11 seasons on the North Side, the soft-tossing right-hander piled up over 1,500 innings, serving as an anchor for more than a decade.

Then, you factor in the accomplishments on the front half of that run. A 3.12 ERA over a seven-year stretch to start his big-league career, including a trio of sub-3.00 ERA campaigns. Of course, his best work came in 2016, when he finished third in NL Cy Young voting and brought home the MLB ERA crown in a quietly dominant season.

Who started the pennant-clinching affair in the NLCS? Hendricks. And in Game 7, with their backs against the wall, 'The Professor' delivered one last gem to cap off an incredible season. The stuff of legends.

2 - Jon Lester

When the Cubs signed Jon Lester (funny timing talking about Chicago prying a beloved player away from the Red Sox given the Alex Bregman move this week) - it was a proclamation to the rest of the league: the rebuild was over and the Cubs were coming out of hibernation.

Lester got off to a rocky start in his first year with the team, but settled in and really dominated the following year, 2016, when he finished runner-up in NL Cy Young voting, going 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA, piling up 202 2/3 innings of work. Named co-NLCS MVP alongside Javier Baez, Lester helped push the Cubs to the top of the mountain, even pitching out of the pen for the first time in years in Game 7.

The gritty southpaw brought a no-nonsense attitude to the mound, grinding his way through starts when he stuff wasn't sharp and leaving it all on the field every five days. Thanks to the pandemic in 2020, he never got his send-off from the Cubs faithful. How about we give him one when his name is called for the Cubs Hall of Fame?

1 - Anthony Rizzo

This generation's 'Mr. Cub'. Anthony Rizzo was there for it all, from the depths of the rebuild to the top of the proverbial mountain as a World Series champion and curse-breaker. Not only was he incredibly valuable on the field, but his off-the-field efforts in and around the community truly embodied what it meant to be a Cub.

A three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, Platinum Glove recipient, Silver Slugger and Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award winner, Rizzo did it all during his Cubs career. Four times, he cracked 30 or more home runs. He drove in more than 100 on four separate occasions. And, while doing all this, he was the undisputed face of the franchise.

His return to Wrigley Field last summer was incredible, to say the least, and welcoming him back to Cubs Convention this weekend will be truly special. Adding him to the Cubs Hall of Fame would be even more unforgettable.