CHICAGO – Nico Hoerner has tried this bit of defensive wizardry before, and even those efforts – whether during drills in Spring Training or in a game – wowed any and all onlookers. On Saturday afternoon, the Cubs’ second baseman pulled it off.
In the fifth inning of a 3-0 loss to the Astros, Hoerner flipped a ball between his legs for a no-look toss to first baseman Michael Busch for an out that had Cubs pitcher Colin Rea grinning on the mound. It was a snapshot into the creativity that Hoerner has paired with athleticism as one of baseball’s elite infielders.
“That was awesome,” Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “I mean, we’ve seen him do it countless times in his work. I think we may have seen him try it once last year. That was pretty cool. That was definitely something to smile about when stuff wasn’t really going our way. I got a kick out of that in center field.”
During Spring Training in 2024, a clip of Hoerner practicing the play caught fire online. In an April game against the Padres last year, the second baseman took it into a game. A grounder got by Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, Hoerner was there and he did the no-look flip through his legs, but Tyler Wade reached safely.
Against the Astros on Saturday, things came together just right.
Rea fired a first-pitch fastball to Houston’s César Salazar, who tried to get the jump on the Cubs’ defense with a bunt. Salazar pulled the bunt to the first-base side of the mound – beyond the reach of Rea. Hoerner charged in, grabbed the ball off the dirt with his bare right hand and completed the flip to Busch in time, to the delight of the Wrigley Field crowd.
After the game, Rea smiled when asked about Hoerner’s play.
“That was unbelievable,” Rea said. “First, it was a perfect bunt – I have no shot at it. And then Nico just is always creative out there. I felt like he just felt like that was the only play he had. He was coming so fast toward home. It’s not like he had enough time to turn his body and throw it. It was his only play, and it was incredible to see. I was right there. It was fun to watch.”
The Cubs boast one of the Major Leagues’ top defensive units, and Hoerner – a two-time National League Gold Glove Award recipient – serves as one of the anchors. Entering play on Saturday, he was tied for fourth among all positions in Statcast’s fielding run value (seven) and trailed only Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals (14) and Crow-Armstrong (10) in outs above average (nine).
This is hardly the first time Hoerner has dropped jaws with a defensive play this season, either.
Back on April 24, Hoerner made an incredible jumping grab to snag a baseball that bounced away from Busch. The second baseman got the throw off to pitcher Ryan Rolison at first, and Hoerner could not help but smile after the acrobatic display. And on a windy day at Wrigley on May 3, Hoerner pulled off a wild catch-and-throw double play against the D-backs.
“That just goes to show,” Crow-Armstrong said, “that he’ll make just about every play where the ball touches his glove or his hand.”