After signing a six-year, $141 million contract, Nico Hoerner has become one of the biggest breakout stars in Major League Baseball this season.
Hoerner was drafted in the first round as the 24th overall pick by the Cubs in 2018 after attending Stanford University. He added a no-trade clause to his extension, announced on March 29, keeping him in the Windy City from his debut in September of 2019 until at least 2032.
Hoerner followed that extension up by winning MLB NL Player of the Week this past week for the 13-9 Cubs. Highlighting some key moments in this week is the Cubs’ 11-2 win over the Phillies on April 15. He had five RBIs which put him at the most he's ever produced in a two-game series with a total of eight. He also added two runs and three hits for the game. This game put his slash line to .324/.410/.507 with nine extra base hits and 23 hits through the season.
Looking at his stats for this week, overall he put up five runs, 10 hits and 17 total bases. With 24 total at bats, this put him at a .417 batting average.
“He’s had a great week, hence the honor,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He's playing at a really high level and I think he’s doing a lot for us right now offensively for sure. He’s been a big part of just getting things started and finishing things off.”
His overall career stats average a .283 batting average with a .388 slugging percentage. Defensively at second base he has a .989 fielding percentage. So far this season, he has put up a batting average of .322, placing him at 11th in MLB, and a .902 OPS. Another notable statistic is having 21 total RBIs this season, which ties him in first with five other athletes for this statistic.
According to MLB.com, Hoerner mentioned how Cubs hitting coach John Mallee has helped him work on his skills offensively. Mallee added how he has improved at attacking different types of pitches lower in the strike zone as well as rotating better in order to stay behind the ball.
Then there's his defense, which is arguably where his values have shined the brightest for the team. At second base, he has instinctive awareness that makes his skills extra valuable. He anticipates before the ball is even hit, positioning himself just a step ahead of where he needs to be. It’s this kind of subtle skill that makes a difficult play look routine for Hoerner.
While the more popular names may appear more often in headlines, Hoerner’s standout performance lives in the details. A perfectly timed jump on a line drive. A quick pivot that turns a routine grounder into an inning ending double play. A disciplined at bat that stretches a pitcher just long enough to shift momentum. These may seem like the basics for a baseball player, but a flashy performance isn’t necessarily the key to success for a team; consistency is.
“When I think about Nico as a player and a person, I referenced it before, he's so unbelievably consistent and I think sometimes consistency can be a little bit underrated or underappreciated,” Chicago Cubs president of operations Jed Hoyer said in Hoerner's extension press conference.
What makes Nico Hoerner’s season so far even more compelling is how it reflects his evolution over his career. He was first seen as a contact hitter with less skills in defense, but now he has grown into a well rounded crucial component to this team. He doesn’t overpower his opponents, but instead he out-thinks and outworks them.
