Stats that will make Cubs Nico Hoerner look even better
Newly extended Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is already raising eyebrows just two weeks into the 2026 season. He’s off to a very strong start and is showing why the Cubs wanted to keep him around for the duration of his MLB career. While Hoerner is getting recognition for his efforts, several eye-popping stats even better show how valuable he is.
Hoerner won’t get fooled.
Hoerner’s greatest asset with the bat is his ability to put the ball in play. Last season, he was in the 99th percentile in strikeout rate and whiff rate per Baseball Savant (Statcast). He’d been in the 99th percentile in whiff rate from 2023-2025, and was in the 97th percentile in 2022.
Since 2022, Hoerner is tied for the third-best strikeout rate among qualified hitters in baseball (10.2%), with Ernie Clement, and trailing just Steven Kwan and Luis Arraez. That’s just 261 strikeouts over 2,548 plate appearances. To put that in perspective, James Woods of the Nationals was baseball’s leading strikeout hitter last year with 221 strikeouts in 698 plate appearances.
Man with the Golden Glove.
Hoerner is not only one of the best fielding second basemen, but also one of the best fielders in baseball at any position. Since 2022, he boasts the eighth-highest OAA (Outs Above Average) at 38, is tied for the 11th-highest in FRV (Fielding Run Value) at 31, and is 12th best in DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) at 34. Note that in 2022, he was playing shortstop before Dansby Swanson signed the following offseason.
Since becoming the primary second baseman on the Cubs in 2023, Hoerner is top-three among all second baseman in DRS (34), OAA (38) and FRV (31), and OAA (38).
What Hoerner’s WAR is good for.
WAR is a controversial stat considering the stock or lack thereof some might put into it. It’s also calculated a bit differently by multiple outlets. However, Hoerner’s WAR numbers reflect his value as a ballplayer very well.
Going by FanGraphs WAR (fWAR), Hoerner over his first 12 games of the 2026 season already sits at 1.0. His Baseball-Reference WAR (bWAR) is at 1.2 over his first 12 games. So, in less than two weeks’ worth of games, multiple outlets say he’s already a full win above replacement level.
Going beyond that, he has accumulated a 3.4 fWAR since the All Star break in 2025, which is tied for the fourth highest in all of baseball with Aaron Judge. Hoerner is obviously not Judge, but his bringing such a high level of value to the Cubs makes him one of the team’s most important assets. He does what he does well at an elite level, even if he does not bring power and (traditionally) a high walk rate.
The post Stats that will make Cubs Nico Hoerner look even better appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/stats-that-will-make-cubs-nico-hoerner-look-even-better/
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