CHICAGO (670 The Score) — Walk through the stairway from the third-base dugout at Wrigley Field, down a tunnel to the Cubs' clubhouse and there's a locker stall just to the left of the doorway that was once occupied by Anthony Rizzo. Now hanging in it prior to each home game is the jersey of Nico Hoerner.
That isn't lost on the 25-year-old Hoerner, who broke into the big leagues late in the 2019 season to help a depleted Cubs team try to push for the playoffs. He watched Rizzo fight back from a gruesome ankle sprain and recognized the leadership of a key figure in the Cubs' long-awaited World Series championship three years earlier.
Hoerner kept a pair of batting gloves from Rizzo, which he stores in the top shelf of that locker stall to remind himself of the standard set by Rizzo in leading the Cubs.
After signing a three-year, $35-million contract extension with the club Tuesday, Hoerner thought about Rizzo and the Cubs core that came before him.
"I do feel a really strong sense of purpose having been here for the last group obviously that had success, at the very tail end of that, through two years of not playing very strong baseball, and then coming out of that," Hoerner said. "I think one of the most satisfying things I can do in a career would be to be in one place for a rebuild to obviously the next championship. Seeing Rizz at the end of that and knowing he had been through the entire story of it, I think that's as inspirational as it gets, honestly. That I think would be the best thing I can accomplish in my career."
The Cubs selected Hoerner with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft amid a run of success the franchise had never seen before, hoping he could become the next homegrown star to carry the flag.
Since Hoerner debuted in 2019, the Cubs have endured great change. Mainstays like Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras each moved on without contract extensions, and All-Star left fielder Ian Happ could be playing his final season with Chicago as his free agency looms after the 2023 season. The Cubs haven't won a playoff game since their lone victory in the 2017 National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.
The Cubs now feature a core that includes shortstop Dansby Swanson – for whom Hoerner moved off shortstop and to second base – right-hander Marcus Stroman, right-hander Jameson Taillon and Happ. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who's opening the season on the injured list, is the Cubs' lone player remaining from the 2016 World Series championship team.
Hoerner watched the Cubs' young talent throughout the course of spring training – including highly regarded prospects in outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, outfielder Kevin Alcantara and outfielder Brennen Davis – and he believes in the future of this organization.
For their part, the Cubs believe Hoerner can be a cornerstone as they build for the future.
"That's a really good human that's going to affect that clubhouse for a really long time," Cubs manager David Ross said of Hoerner. "I think that's what's most important."
During a workout late in spring training, the veteran first baseman and World Series champion Eric Hosmer approached Ross and shared his appreciation for what he sees in Hoerner every day. With that in mind, Ross affirmed his faith in Hoerner as the Cubs' leadoff man at the top of the lineup. Beyond his skill set, Hoerner is a tone-setter in the mind of Ross.
The 29-year-old Swanson, who signed a seven-year, $177-million deal with the Cubs in December, has found himself looking to Hoerner since joining the team.
"He's one of a kind," Swanson said. "He's so good at what he does. I think he gets overshadowed some. Even how he's just welcomed me with open arms and moved a position, that's never easy for somebody. But he just wants to win and that's where his priorities lie and you can see it with how he goes about his business."
Hoerner hit .281 with a .736 OPS in 135 games in 2022, and he's a superb defender who was a Gold Glove finalist in 2020. He's now under contract with the Cubs through 2026, after which he's in line to hit free agency at the age of 29.
For Hoerner, the structure of his new contract will give him the opportunity to potentially reap the reward of even stronger play in the next four seasons. Hoerner is betting on himself and hopes to cash in once again.
Admittedly, Hoerner envisions his long-term future with the Cubs. Having seen Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Contreras and other teammates walk out the clubhouse door, he valued the opportunity to find security with this team.
Hoerner hopes he too can become part of the Cubs' history.
"Stuff like that really does matter, and it changes fast," he said. "It's not something to forget.
"It's just an incredible thing to be a part of."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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