Chicago Cubs: Top five minor league moments of 2019

Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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Nico Hoerner – Chicago Cubs (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: From Stanford to the bigs

One of the best moments in the organization’s lower leagues is the ascension of shortstop Nico Hoerner. Following an injury to Addison Russell, Hoerner received his opportunity and made the most of it. Hoerner spent his first 70 games at Double-A Tennessee and then 20 games with Chicago. An unprecedented move by the club but one which turned out beneficial.

Hoerner slashed a healthy .284/.344/.399 for the Smokies before slashing .282/.305/.436 in the big leagues. He made waves when he posted a three-hit four-RBI performance in his debut on the road in Chicago. Hoerner then homered in back-to-back games at Wrigley for his first two major league home runs.

Hoerner is the future for the Cubs, probably at second base. He is a staunch defender and has shown a lethal nature to his bat. If he can continue putting everything together, Hoerner will remain a staple in Chicago for a long time. His move from Tennessee to Chicago was a bold move by Theo Epstein and one which shined bright for the organization.