Nico Hoerner has earned a reputation for being one of the most consistent second basemen in the majors. Thanks to a combination of elite defense and a hit tool that’s better than given credit for, Hoerner is a key piece of the Chicago Cubs, a team that reached the NLDS in 2025 and is looking like the early favorite to win the NL Central in 2026.
However, as good as Hoerner is (and as important as he can be for the Cubs as part of an elite defense that also features Dansby Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ), he’s the perfect example of a player who’s better in real life than he is in fantasy. That’s not to say that Hoerner isn’t a player worth targeting in most drafts (spoiler: he is!), but he’s far from being among the elite options at the position.
During the 2025 season, Hoerner slashed .297/.345/.394 with a .739 OPS, 7 homers, 61 RBI, and 89 runs scored across 156 games and 649 plate appearances. The batting average was not only a career-high mark in seasons where he’s played at least 130 games, but it was also the second-best mark in the NL behind Trea Turner’s .304. But how do those numbers play out in fantasy, looking toward the 2026 MLB season?
Nico Hoerner’s 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook 2026
The first thing to note about Hoerner is the fact that he’s extremely durable, as he’s played at least 135 games in each of his last four seasons in the majors. Even though he made his debut back in 2019, it wasn’t until the 2022 campaign that Hoerner established himself as a regular for the Cubs. That won’t change in 2026, so he’s good for over 600 plate appearances if he stays healthy, a threshold he’s surpassed in each of the last three years.
Hoerner will bring value almost exclusively with his hit tool, and he should be up there among the leaders in batting average in the NL once again. He’s also a better runner than given credit for, with at least 29 stolen bases in three years in a row. He doesn’t hit for a ton of power, unfortunately, with 7 homers and a .097 ISO in 2025. He’s yet to hit more than 10 long balls in any of his four full years in the majors, so a sizable spike in the power numbers isn’t a realistic possibility.
Hoerner merits a spot on your roster, although it wouldn’t be shocking to say there are better options at 2B, even if you’re playing in an NL-only league. Still, his combination of durability, hitting ability, and speed should make him a decent target as a mid-to-late-round flier.
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