Bulls News: 2023 Season Report Cards: Second Base

David Banks - USA Today Sports

by Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Tue Oct 10 11:06:23 GMT-05:00 2023

As we continue to move across the infield, we close out the right side of the diamond with second base. Unlike some of the positions on this team, this one is locked for the next several years as Nico Hoerner was given a fresh three-year contract extension that kicks into gear this season.

Given his gold glove caliber defense and how he plays the game, this may not be the only extension he gets, as he is the heart and soul of this team. Behind him is the question, as the Cubs didn't have many options to back him up if he went down long-term. Sure, Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni were the obvious choices, but with the Cubs needing players at third, they took their chances at the hot corner and played very well.

Unless someone trades for one of those two this offseason, I expect them to back up Hoerner in 2024. However, don't put it past Jed Hoyer to look at the market as Adam Frazier, Kolton Wong, Brandon Drury, and Jonathan India are all players that could come to Chicago to perhaps back up Hoerner or even make the transition to third base if the Cubs are in need once again.

Nico Hoerner

When the Cubs made it a point to get away from the high homer, high strikeout guys, Hoerner was the first player that came to mind in terms of creating a new core. The 2018 first-round pick out of Stanford had less than 100 minor league games under his belt before getting the call to make his MLB debut in August of 2019. After going through significant struggles in 2020 and battling through injuries in 2021, Hoerner has started to put it together over the past two seasons and has shown you why the Cubs gave him that extension.

For the season, Hoerner was one of the team's best and most consistent hitters, as he finished the year with a .283 average to go with a career-high nine homers and 63 RBIs. He also added 43 stolen bases to become just the fourth player in franchise history to reach the 40-steal mark. If there was an area of concern, his strikeout rate went way up this season, but not to the point where you are concerned.

Along with the offense comes his defense, where he was not only in the running to earn a gold glove at shortstop in 2022, but should be a gold glove candidate every season at second. That is something the Cubs have lacked in the past and is a big reason why Hoyer focussed on pitchers who pitch to contact, knowing who is backing them up.

Season Grade A-: Hoerner had a great season despite missing about two weeks with an ankle injury. Apart from that, he finally showed the player he could be, and the Cubs couldn't have been happier with him. When you look at the new core that the Cubs are creating, Hoerner will be part of it as he will be the face of the franchise for the next few seasons and will be looked at as the leader after that.

Nick Madrigal

To say Madrigal's first season in Chicago was a struggle would be an understatement, as a rash of injuries forced him to miss a ton of time. That took him out of an offensive rhythm as he was a shell of himself at the plate. Entering the 2023 season, no one had more pressure on this roster than him, and he was forced to make a position change over to third for the first time in his career.

Not only did that change possibly save his career, but he was one of the better defensive third basemen all season, which gives the Cubs options going forward. I know this is a second base category and not third, and Madrigal is a natural second baseman, which is why he is listed here. While the defense was a pleasant surprise, Madrigal will only go as far as his hitting takes him, which was much better this season.

Although a far cry from his .320 days with the White Sox, as those may never come again, Madrigal still put together a .263 average for the season, but that came after a prolonged slump to end the year as he was over .280 for much of the second half. Additionally, Madrigal doubled his career home run total from two to four while driving in a career-high 28 runs and adding 10 stolen bases. If anything, Madrigal has proven he can be a utility player that can move around the diamond.

Season Grade B-: I'm not going to be as critical as most will be when discussing Madrigal, especially when you look at all he had to go through this season. As if trying to become a better hitter wasn't hard enough, he tried to do it while learning a new position. Granted, when the Cubs made this trade, they expected him to hit north of .300, and it would be nice to see that again. However, if he can do what he did the first five months, not the final 20 games, he will make Cubs fans very happy.