Nico has batted .247 (46-for-186) with five doubles, one triple, three homers and 30 RBI in 68 major league contests since making his debut in September of 2019...Made his major league debut in 2019 at the age of 22, becoming the first member of the 2018 draft class to make his big league debut...was selected by Chicago as the 24th pick in the 2018 draft...Became only the second Cubs position player in the last 30 years to make his major league debut the year of or the year after he was drafted, joining 2014 first-round pick Kyle Schwarber, who made his big league debut in 2015…Schwarber was also the previous Cub to jump from Double-A to the majors, as Hoerner did...In total, is the 23rd player in franchise history to make his major league debut the year of or the year after he was drafted...Ranked as the Cubs’ top prospect entering 2020 according to MLB Pipeline and the second-best prospect by Baseball America (40th-best prospect across all of baseball)…Was named a 2018 Arizona Fall League Rising Star after batting .337 (30-for-89) with four doubles, four triples, one homer, 11 RBI and an .867 OPS in 21 games for the Mesa Solar Sox...Attended Stanford University...named All-Pac-12 in 2017 and 2018...was a finalist for Brooks Wallace Award in 2018 (best collegiate shortstop)…selected to the ABCA All-America Second Team and ABCA All-West Region in 2018...graduated from Stanford with a degree in American Studies during the 2019-20 offseason...Graduated from Head-Royce High School in Oakland, Calif., where he was a four-time all-league and two-time league MVP (2014, 2015).
2020
Nico spent the entire season on the major league roster, batting .222 (24-for-108) with four doubles, 13 RBI and 12 walks in 48 games...appeared in 37 games at second base, 10 games at shortstop, six games at third base and one game in both left field and center field...Made his most starts at second base (22)…also had starts at third base (six), shortstop (four) and center field (one)…Began the season with a five-game hitting streak, going 7-for-18 with a double and five RBI...had two RBI in consecutive games, July 28-29...His two RBI, July 28 in Cincinnati, gave him 20 RBI in his first 24 career games since making his major league debut, September 9, 2019...he’s just the fourth Cub to record 20 or more RBI within his first 24 career contests, joining: Mandy Brooks (32 RBI in 1925), Joe Kelly (21 RBI in 1926) and Jorge Soler (20 RBI in 2014)…Drove in a season-high three runs, September 10 vs. Cincinnati...went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored...Batted .355 (11-for-31) with runners in scoring position and .326 (14-for-43) in the seventh inning and later.
2019
Nico spent the majority of the minor league season with Double-A Tennessee before being selected by the Cubs, September 9...batted .282 (22-for78) with one double, one triple, three homers and 17 RBI in 20 games with the Cubs....Made his major league debut, September 9 at San Diego, going 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and four RBI in the Cubs' 10-2 win...became the first Cub with at least three hits and four RBI in his major league debut since Dee Fondy on April 17, 1951....Had another four RBI game in his fifth-career contest, September 13 vs. Pittsburgh, including his first-career home run...became the first Cub since 1920 (when the RBI became an official stat) to record multiple four-RBI performances in his first five-career games....Notched 11 RBI in his first six-career games, the most by any Cub in his first six career major league games...surpassed Mandy Brooks, who had nine RBI in his first six career games in 1925...the 11 RBI tied for the most ever by any player in his first six games as a Cub, matching Bill Nicholson in 1939....Committed just two errors in 74 chances in his debut major league action...both errors came in the same game, September 24 at Pittsburgh....Batted .284 (76-for-268) with 16 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 22 RBI with Tennessee...was limited to 70 games due to a left wrist fracture (he was out from April 24-July 3)...posted a .344 on-base percentage and a .399 slugging percentage with Tennessee, good for a .743 OPS.
2018
Nico made his pro debut, appearing in 14 games between Rookie League Mesa, Single-A Eugene and Single-A South Bend...batted a combined .327 (16-for-49) with two doubles, two triples, two homers, six RBI and nine walks, good for a .450 OBP and 1.021 OPS....Went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, three runs, RBI and a walk in his pro debut, June 26 with the Mesa Cubs...promoted to Eugene, June 29, where he batted .318 (7-for-22) with a triple, homer and five walks in seven games....Appeared in four games with South Bend, going 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, homer and three RBI in four games...season was cut short after suffering a strained ligament in his left elbow, July 15.
