Nico Hoerner is entering his fifth season with the Chicago Cubs. This year won't be like the others as Cubs' manager David Ross has granted Hoerner some extra responsibilities.
Ross wants Hoerner to bat leadoff this upcoming season, via Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Ross has been impressed with Hoerner's leadership skills overall and thinks who he is as a player will translate well into the top spot.
“When I look at Nico, it's about setting a tone for our group to start a game,” Ross said. “He's as ready to go as anybody I've ever been around. Something about the way he plays sets a great tone for our team, so I like him starting things off.”
In his four years with the Cubs, Nico Hoerner has appeared in 247 total games. He has hit leadoff just three times. But as Ross tries to get a spark out of the Cubs, he's going to try Hoerner leading off to begin the season.
The Cubs are in need of a bit of a jolt offensively. Chicago finished the 2022 season ranked 19th in the MLB with a batting average of .238. Their 657 runs scored ranked 22nd.
Over his major league career, Hoerner is a .277 hitter with 13 home runs, 101 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Most of Hoerner's production came last season, when he hit .281 with 10 home runs, 55 stolen bases and 20 stolen bases.
After a productive 2022, David Ross wants to see more out of Hoerner's bat. The Cubs middle infielder could have an opportunity to lead what could be a solid Chicago lineup to start the season.
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