The Top 10 Offensive Seasons in Chicago Cubs History

Now in their 135th season as a franchise, the Cubs have seen their fair share of great players come and go, and with those great players have come some memorable seasons.

I have compiled a list of what I feel are the 10 best offensive seasons in Cubs history. I limited each player to only one season on the list, or it would have been mostly Sammy Sosa and Ernie Banks.

With 135 years of history, it was tough to chose just 10, but it is hard to argue with anyone on the following list. That said, I encourage you to do just that if I have left someone off who you feel is more deserving.

No. 10: Heinie Zimmerman, 1912

BA: .372 - first
OBP: .418 - fifth
SLG: .571 - first
H: 207 - first
HR: 14 - first
RBI: 99 - third
R: 95 - eighth
Sixth in NL MVP

While the numbers across the board are not as impressive as the other nine guys on this list, Zimmerman was near the top of the league in every offensive category during a time when offense was at a premium.

Aside from the above numbers, he also had a league-high 41 doubles, 14 triples, stole 23 bases, and logged a league high 318 bases.

Zimmerman may be the best third basemen the Cubs have had, not named Santo or Ramirez, and while his power numbers aren't eye popping, he was among the games top sluggers during his time with the Cubs.

No. 9: Kiki Cuyler, 1930

BA: .355
OBP: .428 - eighth
SLG: .547
H: 228 - fifth
HR: 13
RBI: 134 - third
R: 155 - second
No MVP Awarded

Hidden behind the season that Hack Wilson put together in 1930, was a heck of a season from Cuyler, as he also tallied 17 triples and stole a league-high 37 bases.

His 155 runs and 228 hits are the second most in a single season by a Cubs player, trailing Rogers Hornsby's 1929 marks of 156 and 229, respectively.

And while Cuyler will be remembered as a Pirate, much like Hornsby will always be a Cardinal, he more than made his mark on Cubs history in his eight seasons with the team.

No. 8: Billy Williams, 1970

BA: .322 - fourth
OBP: .391
SLG: .586 - fourth
H: 205 - first
HR: 42 - second
RBI: 129 - second
R: 137 - first
Second in NL MVP

Williams had some great seasons with the Cubs, winning a batting title in 1972 with a .333 mark, and topping the 20 HR mark in 13 straight seasons, but his best overall season came in 1970.

Just one season removed from the Cubs infamous 1969 team, Williams exploded for career highs in hits, runs, HR, and RBI while posting the second best average of his Hall of Fame career.

Williams will be honored with a statue outside of Wrigley Field later this season, and while his Cubs career spanned 16 seasons, he was never better than during the 1970 season.

No. 7: Derrek Lee, 2005

BA: .335 - first
OBP: .418 - fourth
SLG: .662 - first
H: 199 - first
HR: 46 - second
RBI: 107 - seventh
R: 120 - second
Third in NL MVP

Lee finally turned a corner during the 2005 season, taking his offensive game to the level that many predicted he would be at when the Padres originally drafted him in the first round back in 1993.

While he was always a decent hitter, he set career highs in nearly every offensive category in 2005, winning the batting title, and inspiring Triple Crown talk.

However, the 2005 Cubs were not a team that allowed for many RBI opportunities, as they struggled to a 79-83 record and were a shell of the 2003 team that made a run at the World Series. Still, Lee's numbers gave Cubs fans something to root for in an otherwise forgettable season.

No. 6: Andre Dawson, 1987

BA: .287
OBP: .328 - sixth
SLG: .568 - tenth
H: 178 - fifth
HR: 49 - first
RBI: 137 - first
R: 90
NL MVP

The story of how Dawson came to join the Cubs is the stuff of legend, and he goes down as the best free agent signing in team history.

League wide collusion by the team owners kept Dawson and most other free agents from receiving any lucrative offers, and it is said that Dawson and his agent came to the Cubs with a signed blank contract to play for them.

In the end, Dawson signed for $500,000, with a $250,000 bonus if he started in the All-Star game and won the NL MVP.

He did just that, and the MVP was made even more impressive by the fact that he was playing for a last place Cubs team.

No. 5: Ryne Sandberg, 1984

BA: .314 - fourth
OBP: .367 -
SLG: .520 - third
H: 200 - second
HR: 19
RBI: 84
R: 114 - first
*NL MVP

Aside from the above numbers, Sandberg added a league-high 19 triples and 32 stolen bases, as he was in a league of his own during his era when it came to offensive second basemen.

And unlike the others on this list who were established veterans and well into their prime when they had their best seasons, Sandberg was only 24, and in just his third full season.

So while his power numbers were not quite on par with the others on this list, and nowhere near his career-high outburst of 40 in 1990, this season was the best of Sandberg's career, and he helped lead the Cubs to a rare playoff berth.

No. 4: Ernie Banks, 1958

BA: .313 - sixth
OBP: .366 - ninth
SLG: .614 - first
H: 193 - fourth
HR: 47 - first
RBI: 129 - first
R: 119 - second
NL MVP

Really you can take your pick between Banks' two MVP seasons, as his 1959 season was just as good as the '58 numbers.

His numbers included a .304 BA, 45 HR, and 143 RBI in 1959, while registering less hits and runs than the '58 season. Really, you can't go wrong with either of them, and if more than one season per player were allowed, they would both crack the top ten.

Banks will always be "Mr. Cub," and his back-to-back MVP seasons were him at his best, as he went on to join the 500 HR Club and the Hall of Fame for his 19 seasons of greatness.

No. 3: Rogers Hornsby, 1929

BA: .380 - third
OBP: .459 - second
SLG: .679 - first
H: 229 - third
HR: 39 - third
RBI: 149 - third
R: 159 - first
NL MVP

As good of a season as this was, and don't get me wrong it was a fantastic one, it probably does not even crack the top five best seasons of Hornsby's career.

With six straight batting titles, and a pair of Triple Crowns to boot, Hornsby was at his best as a member of the Cardinals and one of the best the game has ever seen. Nonetheless, he was still among the best in the game when he came to the Cubs in 1929, at the age of 33.

The HR and RBI totals were the second highest of his illustrious career, and his 156 Runs were the highest total of his career, as he made his mark on Cubs history, despite his Cardinals roots.

No. 2: Hack Wilson, 1930

BA: .356 - tenth
OBP: .454 - third
SLG: .723 - first
H: 208 - eighth
HR: 56 - first
RBI: 191 - first
R: 146 - fourth
*No MVP Awarded

With only a 12 season career under his belt when he retired, an argument can be made that Wilson punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame with his phenomenal performance during the 1930 season.

His 191 RBI still stand as the highest single-season mark in baseball history, and his 56 HR were a single-season franchise record until Sammy Sosa came along.

Wilson would have almost certainly walked away with the NL MVP for his efforts, but there was no award given that season, and thus he went unrecognized.

Still, Wilson is among the best hitters to ever play for the Cubs, with an average line of .322 BA, 32 HR, 128 RBI over his six seasons with the team, and his 1930 season was easily his best.

No. 1: Sammy Sosa, 2001

BA: 328 - eighth
OBP: .437 - third
SLG: .737 - second
H: 189 - eighth
HR: 64 - second
RBI: 160 - first
R: 146 - first
*Second in NL MVP

While the 1998 season gets most of the historic attention, as Sosa and Mark McGwire captured the nations attention with their assault on the single-season home run mark, and the Cubs made the playoffs for the first time since 1989, Sosa's 2001 numbers were the better of the two seasons.

During his MVP season in 1998, Sosa hit just two more home runs, while batting 20 points lower, driving in two fewer runs, and scoring 12 fewer runs. His WAR for 1998 was an impressive 6.5, but nothing compared to his 11.4 mark in 2001.

So while the team did not experience the same success in 2001 as they did during Sosa's MVP season of 1998, it was his 2001 numbers that belong at the top spot on this list.