Nico Hoerner

27-Year-Old Second Baseman2B

Chicago Cubs

2025 Stats

AVG

.250

RBI

Rest-of-Season Projections

AVG

RBI

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2025 Fantasy Outlook

Hoerner is one of the most consistent players in the league, with his wRC+ ranging between 103 and 108 over the last four seasons. He's better for fantasy teams since steals aren't captured by wRC+ and Hoerner has averaged 31 steals over the last three seasons. Hoerner's game is putting the ball in play 90 percent of the time, mostly line drives and grounders. His career hard hit rate is 31.6 percent, with last season's 27.7 percent being a career worst, but he fanned at his lowest rate ever. This is a risky profile, dependent on batted ball fortune. Hoerner had surgery on his right flexor tendon in October, and his availability for the start of the season is in question since he had not resumed hitting or throwing as of mid-January. His availability early in spring training should provide a better idea of his chances for Opening Day. Players with batting average and steals as chief assets grade well with a formulaic ranking method but are often faded by those using a more subjective approach. He can be a fantasy asset, but it takes the right team build. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Rest of Season

Overall Rank

Dynasty

From Preseason

#187

ADP

League Majors

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man Yes

Height 6'0"

Weight 205

DOB 5/13/1997

Born Oakland, CA

College Stanford

Drafted 1st Rd 2018 CHC

Not starting Saturday

2BChicago Cubs

March 29, 2025

Hoerner isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game versus Arizona.

ANALYSIS
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the Cubs' domestic opener Thursday but followed it up with an 0-for-4 outing Friday. He'll now take a seat Saturday while Jon Berti picks up a start at the keystone and bats ninth.

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Batting Stats

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2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

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2024 MLB Game Log

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2023 MLB Game Log

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2022 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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2020 MLB Game Log

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2019 MLB Game Log

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Minor League Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown

vs Right-Handed Pitchers

vs RHP

vs Left-Handed Pitchers

vs LHP

Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2023

+10%

OPS vs LHP

2025

-100%

OPS vs RHP

2024

+17%

OPS vs LHP

2023

+5%

OPS vs LHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2023vs Left	.770	320	58	3	30	22	.313	.356	.413
Since 2023vs Right	.701	1022	127	13	87	52	.266	.336	.365
2025vs Left	.000	2	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
2025vs Right	.664	11	1	0	1	0	.300	.364	.300
2024vs Left	.799	138	25	2	12	7	.328	.377	.422
2024vs Right	.683	503	61	5	36	24	.258	.324	.359
2023vs Left	.756	180	33	1	18	15	.306	.344	.412
2023vs Right	.719	508	65	8	50	28	.274	.347	.372
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2023

+3%

OPS on Road

2025

-100%

OPS on Road

2024

+21%

OPS on Road

2023

+11%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2023Home	.706	668	96	7	56	31	.276	.339	.367
Since 2023Away	.729	674	89	9	61	43	.280	.343	.387
2025Home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2025Away	.558	13	1	0	1	0	.250	.308	.250
2024Home	.640	312	37	1	16	10	.260	.311	.329
2024Away	.775	329	49	6	32	21	.287	.359	.416
2023Home	.765	356	59	6	40	21	.291	.363	.402
2023Away	.691	332	39	3	28	22	.274	.328	.363
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Stat Review

How does Nico Hoerner compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K
Walk to strikeout ratio
BB Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
K Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
BABIP
Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
ISO
Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
AVG
Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
OBP
On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
OPS
On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
wOBA
Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
Exit Velocity
The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
Hard Hit Rate
A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
Barrels/PA
The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
Expected BA
Expected Batting Average.
Expected SLG
Expected Slugging Percentage.
Sprint Speed
The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
Ground Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
Line Drive %
The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
Fly Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.

BB/K

0.00

BB Rate

7.7%

K Rate

0.0%

BABIP

.250

ISO

.000

AVG

.250

OBP

.308

SLG

.250

OPS

.558

wOBA

.258

Exit Velocity

83.2 mph

Hard Hit Rate

16.7%

Barrels/PA

0.0%

Expected BA

.232

Expected SLG

.274

Sprint Speed

23.0 ft/sec

Ground Ball %

58.3%

Line Drive %

16.7%

Fly Ball %

25.0%

Prospect Rankings History

View Complete Nico Hoerner Prospect Ranking History

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Additional Stats

Games By Position

Defensive Stats

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Batted Ball Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Cubs Depth Chart

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Hoerner took hold of a starting job for the Cubs in 2022 and produced a .281/.327/.410 slash line with 10 homers, 20 steals, 55 RBI and 60 runs in 135 games, and he followed up with similar production last season. He moved from shortstop to second base in 2023 following the signing of Dansby Swanson and had nine long balls, 43 steals, 98 runs and 68 RBI with a .729 OPS across 150 contests. Those figures resulted in a 102 wRC+, and he was sixth in the league in stolen bases while being caught seven times. He hit 46.9 percent of his balls on the ground and didn't consistently make solid contact with a 1.7 percent barrel rate and 33.0 percent hard-hit rate, both of which rank near the bottom for qualified hitters. However, none of those figures are significantly different from the previous year, which indicates his production over the past two seasons is sustainable. Hoerner should provide a strong average with plenty of runs and stolen bases for fantasy managers again in 2024 with his high-contact, low-power approach, though he's unlikely to be a significant contributor in other categories.

Hoerner's role to begin 2022 was murky after Chicago added Andrelton Simmons in March, but the veteran shortstop battled injuries and played in only 35 games before he was cut loose in August. Hoerner worked as the Cubs' primary shortstop and was a plus defender, and he finished the year with a .281/.327/.410 slash line, 10 home runs, 55 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Entering the year, he had only three homers and eight stolen in 112 career games, so the improvements in those areas are a significant development for his fantasy appeal. Hoerner should have a starting spot in the middle infield to open 2023, regardless of whether or not the Cubs bring in a shortstop via free agency.

Hoerner is the other half of the powerless duo which was expected make up the bottom two spots of the Cubs' batting order in 2022. Hoerner does not have the elite bat-to-ball skills that Nick Madrigal has, but he hit .304 in college and .294 in the minors while maintaining a .272 average at the major-league level. He has 90th percentile sprint speed yet has done little running at the big-league level, stealing eight bases in 13 attempts. He appeared set to start in the middle infield alongside Madrigal in 2022, but Chicago opted to bring in veteran shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Hoerner's outlook is now clouded by the addition, as there is now no clear path to an everyday role if everyone remains healthy.

Hoerner acquitted himself quite well in 2019, as his .282/.305/.436 line in 20 games at the MLB level was quite impressive for someone who played in just 89 career minor-league games. He wasn't able to carry that level of success into his second season, however, looking overmatched en route to a .222/.312/.259 slash line with zero homers. He'll still be 23 on Opening Day and was only just drafted in 2018, so it's not as if we should give up on him at this stage. He'll also seemingly get the playing time necessary to keep developing, with the Cubs selling off pieces. There are some red flags, however, particularly pertaining to the notion of fantasy upside. His contact simply isn't nearly good enough, as his career 1.3% barrel rate and 2.2 degree launch angle demonstrate. His defensive versatility and youth will get him playing time, while his contact skill and modest speed are the top selling points in fantasy.

Hoerner would have debuted in 2020 under normal circumstances, but he was the best option at shortstop in September when Javier Baez and Addison Russell got hurt, so he got the emergency callup with the Cubs fighting for a playoff spot. Including a 2018 stint in the Arizona Fall League, Hoerner only played 110 games before reaching the majors, yet he hit .282 with a 13.4 K% and didn't look overmatched at all. He could end up with a plus hit tool, which will be important, as he doesn't have any other plus tools. Hoerner could develop 20-homer power and may chip in 8-10 steals, but the main selling point is that he could be a good enough hitter to bat second in a good lineup. His walk rate should improve as he gets more reps. Baez isn't going anywhere, but Hoerner could be his long-term double-play partner. In the short term, he may head to Triple-A for a couple months before joining the MLB roster for good.

Rarely does a hitter get sent to the Arizona Fall League the year he was drafted. Even rarer is the prospect who gets that assignment and performs as one of the league's best hitters. Hoerner finished his season by hitting .337/.362/.506 in 89 AFL at-bats, but let's go back at the beginning. The Cubs selected the Stanford shortstop with the No. 24 pick in the draft -- potentially this regime's best pick since Kris Bryant in 2013. Hoerner may not stick at shortstop, but unlike recent first-round picks Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ, making consistent contact shouldn't be a problem. Hoerner produced with a wood bat in the Northwoods and Cap Cod leagues, and that success carried over across brief stops at three levels before an elbow injury ended his regular season, prompting the AFL assignment. If he maxes out, Hoerner will be a plus hitter with plus speed and 15-homer pop. He should be one of the first 2018 draftees to reach the majors.

More Fantasy News

Tallies two hits in 2025 debut

2BChicago Cubs

March 28, 2025

Hoerner (forearm) went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 10-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

ANALYSIS
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Appears ready for Opening Day

2BChicago Cubs

March 25, 2025

Hoerner (forearm) will start at second base and bat sixth in Tuesday's exhibition game against Atlanta.

ANALYSIS
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Could be ready for domestic opener

2BChicago Cubs

Forearm

March 24, 2025

Hoerner (forearm) is expected to be available for the Cubs' domestic season opener Thursday in Arizona, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
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Making spring debut Friday

2BChicago Cubs

Forearm

March 21, 2025

Hoener (forearm) is starting at second base and batting second in Friday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

ANALYSIS
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Set to miss season-opening series

2BChicago Cubs

Forearm

February 27, 2025

Hoerner (forearm) won't travel with the Cubs to Japan for the team's two-game, season-opening series versus the Dodgers on March 18 and 19 and will instead remain in Arizona to continue his rehab, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Less likely to be moved

2BChicago Cubs

December 14, 2024

The Cubs are less likely to trade Hoerner, who underwent surgery Oct. 11 to repair his right flexor tendon, after dealing away Isaac Paredes, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
The Cubs entered the offseason looking to free a spot at either second or third base to make way for top prospect Matt Shaw. It was originally anticipated that Hoerner would be the odd man out, but Paredes was included in the package for Kyle Tucker. As a result, Shaw is likely to start at third base for much of the 2025 season, with Hoerner at second base.

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