CINCINNATI – The Chicago Cubs are heading again to the playoffs for the primary time in a full season since 2018. The roster is stuffed with acquainted names like Kyle Tucker, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Nico Hoerner, certainly one of their most essential gamers, does not have the identical All-Star pedigree. However one may argue he is the glue that holds the staff collectively.
Hoerner performs distinctive protection at second base, hops over to shortstop on the uncommon event Swanson wants a time without work, hits for common, will get on base and runs the bases nicely. He is been used on the high of the order (leadoff 16 instances, second six instances), in the course of the order (fifth 13 instances and sixth 52 instances) and towards the underside (seventh 37 instances and eighth 26 instances).
That sort of versatility teamed with the excessive efficiency is what sometimes will get known as the “Glue Man,” although Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell argued that Hoerner is definitely too good for that title.
“It relies on your definition,” he stated. “I believe he is perhaps slightly higher than that by my definition.”
It is a truthful level. Once we take into consideration the “Glue man” assume, it feels prefer it’s normally reserved for a school basketball participant who is not a star however is as a substitute a contributor who does the so-called little issues and perhaps does not get observed by the plenty as a star participant. Hoerner is not acknowledged as a star. He performs on a staff the place he will get overshadowed.
There’s, nonetheless, an argument to be made that Hoerner is essentially the most precious participant on the 2025 Cubs. WAR agrees. Hoerner leads the Cubs this season at 6.1, half a win forward of PCA and greater than a full win forward of Tucker. By the definition of WAR, 5+ is an All-Star degree and round 8 is MVP-caliber. Although Hoerner will not win the Nationwide League MVP award that’s already being just about engraved for Shohei Ohtani, he ought to get some consideration down the poll. He sits fifth in WAR amongst NL place gamers and, once more, he is simply been so precious to the Cubs each on and off the sector of their return to the playoffs.
“With the best way he impacts the sport on a regular basis, his means as a teammate to get to know all people and relate to all people and simply present fixed vitality,” Ian Happ advised CBS Sports activities of the impression Hoerner has within the clubhouse. “He is been doing that his entire profession however persons are beginning to take discover now.”
The rookies are paying consideration too.
“All people appears to be like as much as him, in a approach, together with his work ethic and his means to be tremendous constant,” fellow infielder Matt Shaw advised CBS Sports activities. “His means to work extraordinarily arduous all through the whole season, however nonetheless keep wholesome, nonetheless keep cellular, nonetheless keep in nice form. He is somebody who takes absolute care off the sector, like nutritionally, restoration, all that stuff. As a complete, everybody appears to be like to Nico as somebody who leads by instance.”
Shaw, a rookie third baseman whose robust first half included a demotion again to Triple-A, has regained his kind and is again within the majors as a key piece for the Cubs transferring towards the postseason.
“Together with his character, too, he is at all times making an attempt to deliver up the individuals round him and that reveals his selflessness and that is one other factor individuals look as much as. The extra he does it, the extra others begin to do it and in that sense, he is a glue for the clubhouse, Shaw stated.
“While you’re within the clubhouse each single day for 100-whatever video games, you see it each single day. The consistency, which is the toughest a part of this recreation, when issues aren’t going nicely, when issues are going nicely, he actually embodies that consistency.”
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Pitcher Cade Horton, one of many high contenders for NL Rookie of the 12 months, echoed Shaw’s reward of Hoerner’s consistency
“It has been actually cool to look at a man that is simply so constant,” he advised CBS Sports activities. “Together with his protection, together with his offense, simply the best way he performs the sport. You understand what you are going to get from him and it has been actually particular to look at. He is a presence on this locker room.”
Horton additionally needed to credit score the Cubs’ protection behind him for a few of his success, an 11-4 file and a 2.66 ERA in his first season.
“[The Cubs defense] has been unreal,” he stated. “It does assist so much, simply figuring out in the event that they hit it, it is in all probability going to get caught as a result of we’ve got such an elite protection. It permits us to pitch fearlessly. Simply with the ability to watch the protection, day in, time out, it has been unimaginable.”
It is not simply Hoerner, because the Cubs even have Crow-Armstrong in heart area, Swanson at quick and Shaw has actually come alongside properly at third base. Nonetheless, Hoerner, a Gold Glove winner in 2023, charges out excellently on protection. He simply passes the attention take a look at and the numbers bear it out. He’s eleventh in baseball in Outs Above Common, sitting first amongst second basemen. In defensive runs saved, solely 5 gamers rank forward of Hoerner.
Merely, it is truthful to say Hoerner is the perfect defensive second baseman in baseball and top-of-the-line defenders no matter place.
As famous, although, he is an all-around contributor and never only a defensive specialist. FanGraphs has a baserunning element (“BSR”) of their WAR system and Hoerner ranks seventeenth of 144 certified gamers in BSR.
With the bat, Hoerner has been a maestro. He was certainly one of simply eight certified hitters in Main League Baseball this season hitting .300 or higher earlier than falling to .299 on Sunday. He was certainly one of simply two on the NL aspect, trailing solely Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (.305), who has been out injured since Sept. 7.
“That is what it appears to be like like!” Counsell stated of .300 hitters earlier than the Cubs’ recreation in Cincinnati Thursday. “Nico seems like he will get hits nonstop and he is nonetheless at .301 and it is like ‘oh my gosh, he is piling up hits.’ It is arduous to hit .300 in Main League Baseball. Interval.”
The Cubs have solely had one batting title winner since Invoice Buckner introduced it dwelling in 1980 with a .324 common. Derrek Lee led the league at .335 in 2005. The league common in 2005 was .264. This season, it is .246. Hoerner, once more, is hitting .301.
“Nico’s been nice,” Counsell stated. “Within the final month, it is fairly exceptional what he is doing.”
Previous to Sunday’s 0 for 4, Hoerner was hitting .371/.418/.551 in his earlier 22 video games, pilling up 33 hits within the course of. In that point, the Cubs have clinched a playoff spot and held management of the highest wild card spot forward of the San Diego Padres.
Counsell famous that if the Cubs are to make a deep playoff run this season, they’re going to want a couple of place gamers to have a particular October. The excellent news, he stated, was they’ve lots of candidates. The sensible cash right here is that Hoerner might be closely concerned.
The Cubs have an excellent glue man manning second base.
