Valaika spent the previous two years as the Cubs minor-league hitting coordinator and sometimes crossed paths with Hoerner, who praised his addition to the big-league staff. With a relationship and trust already established, Hoerner and Valaika developed an offseason plan that focused, in part, on improving his movement quality and adjusting his positioning to maximize his swing.
Nico Hoerner could be part of the bridge from the current Chicago Cubs to the future version. But to win the 2nd base job, he’ll need to hit better than he did in 2020.
