Nico Hoerner is Cubs’ leader at 2B entering final year of deal in 2026
Editor’s note: The Cubs enter the winter hoping to build a team that can make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so four years in a row from 2015 to 2018. We look at each position on the Cubs’ roster as they aim to get back to October baseball in 2026.
Next up: Second base.
Depth chart
Analysis
Nico Hoerner is coming off what was arguably the best season of his career in 2025. And, he did it all after missing the team’s Tokyo trip while recovering from flexor tendon surgery on his throwing hand.
The 28-year-old posted a bWAR of 6.2 — the highest mark of his career as well as the most valuable on the Cubs’ roster, the fourth-best among NL position players and the sixth-best in the NL overall. He even finished in the top-20 in NL MVP voting.
On defense, Hoerner’s 15 outs above average were the most among MLB second basemen and the 12th-most among all position players. His 17 defensive runs saved also led all MLB second basemen and were the 10th most in MLB as a whole. Those fielding metrics earned Hoerner the 2025 NL Gold Glove at second base, the second such honor of his career.
At the plate, Hoerner slashed .297/.345/.394 (.739 OPS) with a 114 OPS+ and 109 wRC+. After going his first 74 games of the season without a home run, Hoerner gained some power back and hit seven long balls to go along with 61 RBI. He also fell just short of the NL batting title, coming second only to Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, who hit .304 on the season.
Hoerner, the Cubs’ 2018 first-round draft pick out of Stanford University, made his debut late in the 2019 season and has been the team’s mainstay at second base since 2023. Before Dansby Swanson’s arrival, Hoerner mainly occupied shortstop.
He’s one of the team’s steadfast leaders and a clear fan-favorite who signed a three-year, $35 million extension in the 2024 season. However, he’s currently only under club control through next season — meaning the Cubs could be at risk of losing him in free agency unless he inks another extension in the near future. While president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer hasn’t spoken specifically about which players will enter extension talks this offseason, he did mention at his end-of-season press conference on Oct. 15 that the team wants to have extension talks with multiple players this offseason.
But if we’re talking 2026 and 2026 only, then second base remains Hoerner’s territory.
What’s next?
Hoerner has been an incredibly durable asset for the Cubs as of late — in the past three seasons, he hasn’t played fewer than 150 games per campaign.
But in the event of an injury or anything else that causes Hoerner to miss time, the Cubs have had options from season to season. In 2025, veteran Jon Berti started both games in Tokyo in Hoerner’s place and racked up 13 total appearances at the position before he was released on Aug. 13.
Trade deadline acquisition Willi Castro made six appearances at second on the season’s back end, but he is also now a free agent.
That makes Matt Shaw the only viable second base backup currently on the big-league roster. However, he is shaping up to be the Cubs’ primary third baseman in 2026 after a 2025 breakout.
The team also has 2021 second-round draft pick James Triantos at Triple-A Iowa. Triantos is entering his age-23 season, though he has yet to make his MLB debut. In 102 games with Iowa in 2025, he slashed .258/.315/.369 (.684 OPS) with 47 RBI. He made 70 appearances (66 starts) at second base for the I-Cubs but also saw significant playing time in center field (30 starts).
Further down the totem pole, the Cubs have young infield talent who may or may not be MLB-ready in 2026. That includes No. 4 prospect Jefferson Rojas and No. 8 prospect Pedro Ramirez, both of whom ended 2025 in Double-A Knoxville.
Bottom line
Though there will be questions about Hoerner’s future with the Cubs beyond 2026, there is no question he is the guy at second base next season as the Cubs try to repeat their 2025 success and return to the playoffs. Hoerner will be coming off a healthy offseason and will look to be even more reliable next year.
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