Singling out 7 of the most underrated Chicago Cubs players of the last 10 years

RHP Steve Cishek

For a guy who pitched for eight different major league teams in his 13-year career, Steve Cishek's time in Chicago was brief but very impactful. After signing a two-year deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2018 season, Cishek quickly became manager Joe Maddon's favorite weapon out of the bullpen. The reliever made a whopping 150 appearances out of Chicago's bullpen during his two-year pact, with a fantastic cumulative ERA of 2.55 in that time.

Cishek was by far the most productive Cubs reliever in 2018-19 and it's easy to forget just how effective he was. His efforts were especially vital in 2019, when setup man Pedro Strop and closer Craig Kimbrel were proving to be ineffective in high-leverage situations. This forced Cishek to appear later in ballgames, finishing 23 games for Chicago that year (second on the team)

The heavy usage probably took years off Cishek's career, and he spent the last few years of his MLB tenure trying to replicate the high-volume success he had in Chicago. He retired at the age of 36 after spending the 2022 season with the Washington Nationals.

INF Tommy La Stella

The stat sheet doesn't do former Cubs infielder Tommy La Stella justice, as he was primarily a bench player during his four years in Chicago. But he became an unbelievably reliable pinch-hitter, and his prowess in that field reached historic status in 2018.

The likable infielder set single-season franchise records for hits (24) and plate appearances (90). He also had a career slash line of .288/.404/.399 as a pinch-hitter with the Cubs.

Unfortunately, the Cubs traded La Stella to the Angels after the 2018 season, where he proceeded to add to his unlikely major league success. The Angels gave La Stella a starting job at second base in 2019, and he cranked 16 home runs and drove in 44 in 321 plate appearances before fracturing his tibia in June.