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Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Cubs' Nico Hoerner Talks Adjustments Moving to Second Base

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Ryan Sikes | Last updated 2/23/23

With the Dansby Swanson signing, Nico Hoerner will make the permanent move to second base for the Cubs.

Entering his fifth big-league season, Nico Hoerner will be tasked with handling second-base duties for the foreseeable future. The Chicago Cubs signed Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson over the offseason, and the 29-year-old is expected to remain at his natural position for the entirety of his seven-year contract.

Hoerner, 25, is coming off his first full season after injuries plagued his first few years in the league. The Stanford product played in 135 games last year, slashing .281/.327/.410 with career highs in home runs (10), RBIs (55), and stolen bases (20).

While most of his time with the Cubs has been at shortstop, Hoerner is no stranger to playing second base.

He hasn't played there since 2021, but in his first three seasons, he made 68 combined appearances, including 53 starts at second, logging a .986 fielding percentage.

The California native certainly understands there will be an adjustment period settling in at second base full-time.

"A big part of it is just keeping a lot of the same qualities as being aggressive, going to play the game on the run, keeping arm strength, but still gonna have to go on the other side of the bag for backhands," Hoerner told Marquee Sports Network.

The former first-round pick feels that shortstop is one of the most difficult positions in baseball. But a successful shortstop can transition to other spots on the infield.

So what's the biggest challenge?

"Moving left to right feeding double plays, that's a big change, and then footwork around the bag itself," he said. "Those are things that I haven't done in a little while, so those are some of the details I'm really focused on (coming into spring)."

Dynamic Duo Potential

Hoerner and Swanson will look to become the first double-play combination to win Gold Glove awards in the same year since Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik did so with the San Francisco Giants in 2016.

At least on paper, the Cubs projected infield will likely be one of the best defensively in Major League Baseball.

However, with Swanson entering the organization as a newcomer, Hoerner knows communication will be essential in getting everyone on the same page.

"It's just something that takes time, and a lot of it is just moving and seeing what the other person does," he said. "I don't want Dansby (Swanson) changing what he does too much. He's had success at this level for a long time.

"So, just picking up on his rhythms, different plays that are comfortable for him, and making the game as easy as we can for each other."

Continued Growth

From an individual perspective, 2022 was Hoerner's best year as a big leaguer. Not only because he was healthy — although that has a lot to do with it — but he registered over 500 at-bats.

Going through the ups and downs of an entire season while seeing different pitches in different moments of a game was so critical for his development.

"A huge factor for me was just the amount of at-bats I was able to have last year," Hoerner said. "You can always work hard in the offseason, but until it's really based on the game itself, it's not worth that much.

"To have that feedback and start facing guys multiple times again this year and all that stuff really compounds into just overall improvement."

In 2019, Hoerner was primarily a pull hitter. However, he spread the ball around to all parts of the field last year, something he credits to seeing a high volume of at-bats and making adjustments throughout the year.

The young infielder has yet to identify any specific offensive production totals this season.

Instead, Hoerner is focused on making those minor improvements, and staying on the field will go a long way toward achieving that.

"It's not always an 'I'm gonna set out and walk more this year' kind of thing, but just the mental consistency of playing every day and knowing that I can do that for six months and just improve in small ways that turn out to big differences," he said.

With another strong season from Nico Hoerner, the Chicago Cubs will also need to make re-signing him a priority.