If the Chicago Cubs needed any more reason to hold onto Nico Hoerner, they got it in the form of elite company. In 2025, Hoerner landed in the 95th percentile or better in both baserunning and fielding value - a rare feat matched only by teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong and Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.
That’s not just good company - that’s elite, game-changing company.
And the numbers back it up. Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner each brought home Gold Gloves for their work in center field and second base, respectively.
PCA tied Witt for the MLB lead in Outs Above Average (+24), flashing the kind of range and instincts that make him a nightly highlight reel. Hoerner, meanwhile, topped the majors in Defensive Runs Saved at second base with +17 - a mark that speaks to his consistency, positioning, and ability to turn tough plays into outs.
But it wasn’t just the gloves doing the talking. On the basepaths, the duo led the Cubs in steals - 35 for Crow-Armstrong, 29 for Hoerner - with only Kyle Tucker and Dansby Swanson joining them in the 20+ steals club on the roster.
That blend of elite defense and aggressive, intelligent baserunning is what separates these two from the pack. It’s also what makes them so vital to the Cubs' identity heading into 2026.
Being mentioned alongside Bobby Witt Jr., who’s now posted back-to-back top-five finishes in AL MVP voting, is no small thing. But what makes Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner stand out is that they’re not just one-dimensional specialists - they’re complete players, bringing value in every phase of the game.
And yes, they hit, too.
Crow-Armstrong joined the 30/30 club in his age-23 season - 30 homers, 30 steals - and added 37 doubles to the mix. That combination of power, speed, and gap-to-gap hitting created a statline no one in Cubs history had ever posted before.
He did cool off a bit in the second half - his wRC+ dropped by nearly 60 points after the All-Star break - but even with some offensive regression, his glove and legs make him a perennial 4+ WAR player. That’s a star-level floor, and it’s a luxury few teams have up the middle.
Hoerner, on the other hand, quietly put together the best offensive season of his career. His 109 wRC+ and 4.8 fWAR were both personal bests, and he turned it up even more in October, slashing .419/.424/.548 over eight postseason games.
That’s a 170 wRC+ under the brightest lights. At 28, he’s in his prime, and he’s showing exactly why the Cubs should be building around him - not shopping him.
Zooming out, the Cubs have done more than just assemble a top-heavy roster. There’s depth here, especially on the mound. The rotation got a boost with the addition of Edward Cabrera, and the position-player group is anchored by veterans like Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch - all of whom bring versatility and production.
There’s still work to do if Chicago wants to raise its ceiling to that of a legitimate World Series contender. But with Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner setting the tone - with their gloves, their legs, and now their bats - the Cubs have a foundation that should keep them in the October conversation for years to come.