The Chicago Cubs had a chance to sweep the Padres on Sunday at Wrigley Field, but they couldn’t slam the door shut to extend their winning streak to six games. Two of the team’s five losses so far this season have been extremely frustrating, and they’ve come a week apart from one another. Last Sunday’s blown loss in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks gave fans flashbacks from a year ago.
The bullpen couldn’t hold a 6-2 lead in the series finale at Chase Field and their current 7-5 record heading into a series with the Texas Rangers could easily be 9-3. The month of April will not be kind to the Cubs on paper, as their schedule will be a gauntlet to get through. If they can keep their heads above water this month, they can put their feet on the pedal in May as their slate is much more friendly down the road.
Certain individuals have stood out at the plate more than others so far 12 games into the season. One of the Cubs’ everyday infielders has looked much more comfortable in the box this season and the results speak for it.
Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner has improved his approach
Michael Cerami of BleacherNation pointed out that Nico Hoerner has improved his approach at the plate this season in multiple ways.
A big issue for Hoerner last season was him hitting the ball in the air too much. He had much success in 2023 when he focused more on hitting line drives and getting on-base at a high clip and his WAR reflected that. Hoerner posted a 5.5 WAR in 2023, the highest mark in his career to go with a .283 batting average and a .729 OPS.
If Hoerner can consistently get back to focusing on simplifying his offense game like he has so far this season, he could take on a larger role for the team again. He was the consistent lead off man for the team in 2023, but has been hitting in the middle of the order ever since Craig Counsell took over as manager last year.
Nico Hoerner will need to be a big piece of the Chicago Cubs success
Hoerner’s defense will always be a major component up the middle in helping Chicago win games. Him and Dansby Swanson make up one of the best double play combinations in the league and it’s a major reason why the front office did not split them up this offseason. Hoerner was a rumored trade candidate for a little while, but his injury quickly quieted those talks.
If he can stay healthy and be in the lineup everyday. the Cubs know exactly what to expect from Hoerner in 2025. Baseball Reference projects the former Stanford Cardinal to hit 27 doubles this season and have a .338 on-base percentage. That would be the second highest mark of Hoerner’s career, behind the .346 clip that he posted in 2023.
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