Given the chance to start a couple times in the last few days, Chicago Cubs prospect Nico Hoerner, who isn’t even in big league camp, is taking advantage.
On Thursday, Hoerner went 3-3 with a triple and he was hit by a pitch. Today, he went 2-2 with a homer, a double, a walk, and he was plunked again.
That means, taken together, he has reached base eight straight times in Cactus League play. No, it isn’t the big leagues, and, no, it isn’t a huge sample … but still. Dang, kid. It’s a very impressive stretch for the 21-year-old shortstop.
Having spent very, very little time after the draft at South Bend before he was injured last year, you might not expect Hoerner to start above High-A Myrtle Beach this year. But then again, he performed exceedingly well in the AFL, and now he’s doing this in the Spring. Maybe he’s ready to be challenged at AA already. That’d be kind of crazy for a guy who was just drafted last year, but we’ll see.