Hoerner's elite bat, glove, and base-running dominance make him baseball's complete package, influencing every aspect of the game for the Cubs.
No player was arguably more important to the Cubs this past season than Nico Hoerner.
Although Hoerner was in some trade rumors last offseason as a potential trade chip to get a top-of-the-line starting pitcher, it’s a good thing the front office didn’t wind up letting him go. He was valuable in all aspects of the game in 2025.
Offense
Offensively, Hoerner hit .297 with seven home runs, 29 doubles, four triples, 61 RBI, and a .345 on-base percentage (OBP). He was also one of the best hitters in the Major Leagues with runners in scoring position. The 28-year-old hit .315 in that department, which was behind only Bo Bichette and Jacob Wilson.
There’s no doubt about it that Hoerner was one of the best contact hitters in the National League this year. His .297 batting average ranked second only behind Trea Turner (.304), and his 178 hits ranked third among all NL players.
Given his clutchness and ability to put the ball in play, the Cubs' second baseman was nominated as a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award. While he likely won’t win over Brice Turang or Ketel Marte, it’s a big honor for a hitter like Hoerner to even be considered a finalist for an award like that.
Defense
Hoerner definitely did his job on offense and was among the sport’s best contact hitters. However, there might not have been a better defensive second baseman in all of baseball during the 2025 season.
The 28-year-old made big play after big play in the field, and that’s why it’s not a surprise that he is a finalist for the Gold Glove Award. The metrics also back up his incredible defensive season in the field.
His 2.2 defensive WAR (ESPN), 17 Defensive Runs Saved (Fielding Bible), 14 Outs Above Average (Statcast), 10 Runs Prevented (Statcast), and 12 Fielding Run Value (Statcast) all ranked first among all second basemen in MLB.
He was easily the best defensive second baseman in the Majors and will almost certainly come home with the second Gold Glove of his career. Hoerner won his first Gold Glove back during the 2023 season.
Base Running
It’s not often that players have a great bat, an elite glove, and top-tier base running skills. Most players usually have one or two of these skills, but having all three is rare. Well, Hoerner is one of the few players who impact the game in all three facets.
The Cubs' second baseman swiped 29 bags this past year, marking the third straight season he has totaled over 25 stolen bases. With 43 stolen bases in 2023 and another 31 stolen bases in 2024, Hoerner has now stolen 103 bases across the past three seasons.
Those 103 stolen bases since the start of the 2023 season are the seventh-most in the Majors. Hoerner has more stolen bases than Turang (100), Shohei Ohtani (99), and Julio Rodriguez (91) during these three years.
Hoerner is the epitome of the perfect baseball player, a player who can do it all and help his team win in every aspect. There aren’t many players like him in the sport.