Nico Hoerner Has Played His Way Into the Early MVP Conversation

If any Chicago Cubs player has played himself into National League MVP talks, it’s Nico Hoerner.

Obviously, it’s still very early in the season. The Cubs’ 5-1 win Monday night came in just their 22nd game. That means there’s still over 86% of the season to go.

It’s never too early to take notice of which players have had the strongest starts to the year, though. For Chicago, that’s Hoerner, who’s been tremendous since agreeing to a six-year, $141 million extension last month.

It seems like every game the 28-year-old makes a huge play. Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, the two-time Gold Glover had multiple defensive highlights. That included a diving stop to his left that turned a potential run-scoring single into an inning-ending groundout.

Hoerner consistently rates among the top defenders at his position (and at any position, frankly), and that’s been no different in 2026. Even before his defensive stops Monday, he entered the day in the 96th percentile in Outs Above Average. He continues to prove his worth on the defensive end.

He’s also been a steady presence in the lineup for years, and he was especially productive in high-leverage moments last season. But Hoerner has really taken off at the plate to begin this year.

Despite a two-strikeout game Monday, Hoerner’s strikeout rate remains just 10.9%. He’s combined that with a 9.9% walk rate, which would be a career high (outside of his 44-game 2021 campaign).

He’s slugged three home runs, recorded 21 RBIs and scored 13 times. Among qualified NL hitters, that RBI total is actually tied atop the leaderboard, while his 154 wRC+ and .920 OPS both rank 14th. His .396 on-base percentage ranks eighth, and his .322 average ranks sixth.

“He’s a great hitter. He’s a great player,” Javier Assad said through interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. “I’ve faced him in live BPs, and he’s definitely tough to pitch to. I’m just grateful that he’s on our side.”

He also keeps wreaking havoc on the bases, ranking fourth in the NL with seven steals. That’s all combined to make him worth 1.3 fWAR, another mark that’s tied atop the NL and third in baseball.

”I get to see him work a little bit in the offseason when we get together occasionally, and there’s nothing really surprising [about Hoerner’s start to the year],” Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s all impressive. He’s just a prepared, professional player, and you mix that with his level of talent and baseball IQ — that’s just a really good, great overall baseball player.”

It might not be surprising, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive to see Hoerner keep coming through when it matters most. Even over just the last week, he had multiple big hits to help guide the Cubs to their current six-game win streak.

Tuesday, he had the go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) two-run knock. The next night, his fifth-inning two-run homer helped Chicago pull away in the middle innings. Friday, he hit another two-run shot to extend the Cubs’ lead.

And then Sunday, his 10th-inning sacrifice fly walked it off a weekend sweep of the New York Mets. After that, manager Craig Counsell firmly said Hoerner was “absolutely the guy you want up there in that situation.”

Hoerner has been a steady player in Chicago for a long time. He battled some injury issues early in his career, but he’s played 150-plus games the last three seasons.

Ask anyone who’s been in the organization since the Cubs drafted him in 2018, and they’ll tell you his success is a product of what he does when nobody’s watching. When he does take the field, all his preparation leads to consistent on-field production.

”The dude’s just locked in all the time, in a unique way,” Michael Conforto said. “Just about his routine, within the game, being very specific about what he’s going up to the plate to do. It’s really impressive. You don’t see it very often. Really, every aspect of the game. I mean, there’s nothing that he can’t do on a baseball field, and it’s been really fun to watch.”

At this point one of the longest-tenured Cubs, the fanbase adores him. You’ll see his jersey spread throughout Wrigley Field during home games. Crow-Armstrong is a big fan, too, calling him “my favorite player in baseball.”

Now, Hoerner is getting more national recognition than he’s really had before. On Monday, he earned his first NL Player of the Week honor. He’s certainly in line to make his first All-Star team.

There’s no denying he’s put himself in the early MVP conversation, too. But even with more and more eyes taking notice, he still credits the environment he gets to be in every day for helping him get to this position.

“I think it’s a product of being in an organization that’s in the spotlight,” Hoerner said. “We’re lucky to play in a place that we have great coverage, we have great fans, and there’s great opportunity here. I think if you play well here, it’s recognized, and so it’s awesome to have that opportunity.

”Those things come and go, but it’s definitely easier to play well when you’re on a team that has real purpose and good people around you like that.”