Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong crack MLB Top 100 but Cubs fans can’t believe who was snubbed

Every major sport loves to rile up some pre-season discourse by releasing a "Top 100" players list, and Major League Baseball is no exception. MLB Network just took their crack at the exercise, and the Chicago Cubs are pretty well represented on the list.

Marquee free-agent signing Alex Bregman is the first Cub to appear at No. 35 overall, which sounds about right after an All-Star campaign in 2025 that was dampened by a quad strain that cost him some time. Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared next at No. 40, which is a little low after a 30/30 season that culminated in a Gold Glove in center field, but fair enough given his cold streak in the second half.

The only other Cubs to appear on the list were the team's top two home run hitters last year, Michael Busch (No. 67) and Seiya Suzuki (No. 77). For those curious, former Cubs Kyle Tucker (No. 21) and Cody Bellinger (No. 43) also received some love in the top half of the rankings.

Honestly, that's pretty good representation, even if you could make a case for guys like Ian Happ and Matthew Boyd. And in a year's time, Cade Horton will probably become a fixture on the list.

But... where on earth is Nico Hoerner?

Nico Hoerner inexplicably left off Top 100 MLB players list

Even in the chaos of ample trade interest in the star second baseman, there's time to discuss how ridiculous of a snub this is.

Yes, lists like these don't really matter. It's a silly thing to get riled up over in the grand scheme of things. But Nico Hoerner is hands down one of the best second basemen in the league; foregoing his name here is making a list of the best cereals and "forgetting" to include Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the Top 10. It's just plain blasphemy.

Not that anyone around here needs a reminder, but Hoerner cruised to his second career Gold Glove in 2025 while hitting .297/.345/.394 (109 wRC+) with 29 stolen bases. He never strikes out, is one of the best speed-and-defense players in baseball, and led the league in batting average against southpaws last year. His 4.8 fWAR topped the position in 2025, ahead of Top 100 honorees Ketel Marte (No. 19) and Brice Turang (No. 62).

This is the kind of oversight that simply invalidates an entire list, as ridiculous as that sounds. This isn't a fringe case — Hoerner is arguably the best second baseman in baseball, at least if WAR has anything to say about it. Maybe MLB Network will issue a revised copy in the near future, hopefully with an explanation for how the Cubs' second baseman slipped through the cracks the first time around.