Nico Hoerner wouldn’t have been up with the Cubs in 2019 had it not been for a string of injuries to multiple players ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, but he ended up hitting .282 with three homers in 82 plate appearances. He then seemed destined to open the 2020 season in the minors, but the abbreviated season changed those plans and he ended up as a Gold Glove finalist at second base.
Now Hoerner is in Mesa sporting a longer ‘do and what appears to be a few more pounds of muscle as he works toward earning the keystone gig again.