Nico Hoerner Bio
Nicholas Mackie Hoerner is an American professional baseball middle infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Drafted by the Cubs in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft out of Stanford University, Hoerner has developed into one of the National League’s most dependable second basemen, recognized for his contact hitting, baserunning, and defensive excellence. A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, he remains a central piece of the Cubs’ everyday lineup and infield.
Early Life and Background
Nico Hoerner was born on May 13, 1997. He is the son of Fred Hoerner and Keila Diehl, both educators. His father has since retired, while his mother works for the University of California, Berkeley. Hoerner grew up with a sister named Annika in a household shaped by academic and professional careers in education.
Hoerner grew up as a fan of the Oakland Athletics. His early sporting life was wide-ranging, and he eventually focused on baseball, the sport in which he built his reputation. The combination of family support and an early rooting interest in Bay Area baseball helped set the stage for his later development as a competitive player.
Path to Baseball
Hoerner attended Head-Royce School in Oakland, California, where he played soccer, basketball, and baseball. He played for the varsity baseball team all four years of high school and in 2015, as a senior, batted .517 with six home runs, 30 RBIs, and 40 runs scored. Despite that senior campaign, Hoerner was not drafted in the 2015 MLB draft and opted to continue his playing career at Stanford University.
At Stanford, Hoerner became an immediate contributor. In 2016, as a freshman, he started 53 of Stanford’s 54 games at second base and batted .254 with 53 hits, 24 RBIs, and eight doubles. He then played summer ball with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League, where he hit .304 with two home runs and 31 RBIs in 257 at-bats, showing the offensive upside that would soon attract national attention.
Nico Hoerner Career
Early Career at Stanford
As a sophomore in 2017, Hoerner moved from second base to shortstop and started all 58 of Stanford’s games, slashing .307/.357/.406 with 18 doubles, one home run, and 33 RBIs. He earned All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive recognition. That summer, he starred in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, batting .301 with six home runs and 16 stolen bases, and was named a league all-star.
Hoerner’s junior year in 2018 cemented his draft stock. He batted .345 with two home runs, 40 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases, earning All-Pac-12 honors for the second straight year. Following that season, the Chicago Cubs selected him 24th overall in the 2018 MLB draft, and he signed for a $2.72 million bonus.
Minor League Development
Hoerner made his professional debut with the Arizona League Cubs, was reassigned to the Eugene Emeralds in June, and was promoted to the South Bend Cubs in mid-July. Across 14 games with those clubs he hit .327 before a left-elbow ligament strain ended his regular season. He closed the year with the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.
Hoerner opened 2019 with the Tennessee Smokies, where he slashed .284/.344/.399 with three home runs, 22 RBIs, and eight stolen bases over seventy games. His combination of plate discipline, contact ability, and infield versatility pushed him onto Chicago’s major-league radar by midseason.
Chicago Cubs (2019–Present)
The Cubs selected Hoerner’s contract and promoted him to the majors on September 9, 2019, making him the first player from his 2018 draft class to reach the big leagues. That night against the San Diego Padres, he started at shortstop and went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including a single in his first at-bat against Cal Quantrill. He finished 2019 with a .282 average, three home runs, and 17 RBIs across twenty games.
Hoerner’s first full major-league stretch came in a shortened 2020 season, when he slashed .222/.312/.259 with 13 RBIs over 48 games. In 2021, oblique injuries limited him to 44 games, though he produced a strong .302/.382/.369 line across 149 at-bats. During the Cubs’ Opening Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 7, 2022, Hoerner hit a two-run homer off Corbin Burnes, the first home run of the 2022 MLB season and his first since 2019. He appeared in 135 games that year, slashing .281/.327/.410 with 22 doubles, ten homers, and 55 RBIs, and finished second in the National League in Outs Above Average while playing 133 games at shortstop.
After the Cubs signed free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson in December 2022, Hoerner shifted to second base. He agreed to a one-year, $2.525 million contract in January 2023, avoiding salary arbitration, and on March 27 he signed a three-year, $35 million extension. During the 2023 season, Hoerner slashed .283/.346/.383 with nine home runs, 68 RBIs, 98 runs scored, and 43 stolen bases while leading MLB second basemen with 411 assists. On November 5, 2023, he was awarded the Gold Glove Award at second base, joining Swanson as the first middle-infield duo to win Gold Gloves together since Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford in 2016.
Hoerner played 151 games in 2024, slashing .273/.335/.373 with seven home runs, 48 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. On October 11, 2024, he underwent flexor tendon surgery. He returned in 2025 to play 156 games, slashing .297/.345/.394 with seven home runs, 61 RBI, and 29 stolen bases, and on November 2, 2025, he was awarded his second Gold Glove Award, this time for National League second basemen.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hoerner is known for a contact-oriented, line-drive approach at the plate, repeatedly posting batting averages near or above .280 while limiting strikeouts. Defensively, his range, footwork, and double-play pivot have anchored Chicago’s middle infield, and his speed on the basepaths adds a baserunning dimension rarely seen at his position.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hoerner’s 2023 season produced several franchise firsts. On August 15, he became the first Cub since Tony Campana in 2012 to steal 30 bases in a single season. On September 13, he stole his 40th base, becoming the first Cub since Juan Pierre in 2006 to reach that mark. He joined an exclusive club of recent Cubs players to combine 40 stolen bases with 60 RBIs in one year.
Nico Hoerner Career Wins
Hoerner has built his professional reputation on consistent regular-season play rather than championship hardware. His career-defining honors are his two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, earned at second base in 2023 and 2025.
Cubs Highlights
Hoerner has been a fixture of the Chicago infield since 2019, appearing in 150 or more games in three straight seasons from 2023 through 2025. His two Gold Glove Awards bookend that stretch and confirm his status among the National League’s elite defensive second basemen.
Other Performances
Beyond the majors, Hoerner’s amateur résumé includes All-Pac-12 honors in 2017 and 2018 and a Cape Cod League all-star selection in 2017, underscoring the defensive and offensive foundation he brought into professional baseball.
Nico Hoerner Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Hoerner was raised by Fred Hoerner and Keila Diehl, both educators who have shaped a grounded home environment. Growing up around academic life gave him the discipline that has carried into his professional routine, and a childhood rooting interest in the Oakland Athletics helped spark his love for the game.
Personal Life
Hoerner is the son of Fred Hoerner and Keila Diehl, and he has a sister named Annika. Public information about his marital status is limited, and additional personal-life details have not been disclosed in the available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Hoerner’s 2025 campaign was the most durable of his career, as he appeared in 156 games and posted a .297/.345/.394 slash line with seven home runs, 61 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. His everyday presence at second base stabilized the Cubs’ defense and gave the lineup a steady table-setter in front of Chicago’s power bats.
On November 2, 2025, Hoerner was awarded his second career Gold Glove Award, recognizing another season of elite range and reliable glove work. The award reinforced his standing as one of the National League’s premier second basemen heading into the next phase of his contract.
Looking ahead, Hoerner is signed to a three-year, $35 million extension that runs through 2026, keeping him under team control in Chicago. With his defensive reputation secured, his near-term focus is on maintaining offensive consistency, staying healthy, and helping the Cubs contend in the National League.