Nico Hoerner 2024 Player Outlook: Rule Changes Beneficiary Primed To Repeat
4 months agoNico Hoerner was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the 2023 rule changes. In 150 games, he hit .283/.346/.383 with nine homers, 68 RBI, 98 runs and 43 steals. Only five players had more stolen bases than Hoerner in 2023, who had previously only swiped 28 bases in 247 MLB games. Unlike some speedsters, the Cubs second baseman will also help with your team's batting average while scoring plenty of runs. Hoerner's .272 xBA might cause some trepidation and we'll see regression in his batting average. However, he's now outperformed his xBA in each of the last three seasons and there's nothing to suggest he can't hit .280 again in 2024. Hoerner's 28.5 ft/sec ranked in the 80th percentile but with an 86% success rate in stolen base attempts, he should be able to top 40 steals again. Hoerner's glove (98th percentile in Outs Above Average) will also help with his playing time. The only downside to Hoerner is a lack of power. If he can hit ~10 homers in 2024, he'll be able to back up last year's breakout season. Hoerner is an ideal option if you focus on power over speed with the first couple of hitters you draft.