Cubs star Nico Hoerner receives bold prediction right after signing $141 million extension

The Chicago Cubs made the latest splash in the MLB by re-signing their Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner to a six-year, $141 million deal. With that contract, they now have arguably the best defensive second baseman for years to come.

However, his worth may not stop there. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicts Hoerner will be making his contract look like an amazing investment by the end of this season by winning the Batting Title.

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“Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has quietly racked up 19.6 WAR over the past four seasons, a total that ranks 15th among all position players during that span. His elite defense has been the driving force in that value. However, he is also a solid contributor offensively. After a strong second half led to a career-high 114 OPS+ last season, he looks poised for a career year offensively. The 28-year-old hit .317 after the All-Star break, including a .333/.375/.467 line in 112 plate appearances over the final month. His .297 average overall trailed only Trea Turner (.304) in the NL batting title race. With his speed, contact skills and good lineup protection, Hoerner is one of the few solid bets in the sport to push for a .300 batting average. Picking up where he left off last September would propel him to the top of the NL leaderboard. For the record, the Cubs' last batting title winner was Derrek Lee (.335) back in 2005,” Reuter wrote. 

This past season, Hoerner hit .297 for the season in 156 games, and his career average sits at .282. With that in mind, winning the Batting Title isn’t out of the equation. 

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Additionally, the MLB’s average batting average has gone down significantly in the past decade, as teams have begun to favor OPS over AVG. The man who won the title in the National League last year, Trea Turner, only had a .304 AVG. 

So, this prediction isn’t as bold as Reuter thinks it is. Hopefully Hoerner lives up to it, and makes his extension look all the better.

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