Nico
Hoerner

5/2/18 - Athletic, medium framed infielder with good bounce and energy to his game. Always seemed to be in the middle of the action whether it was turning a double-play, squaring up a base hit or stealing a base. Offensively, he showed a mostly balanced approach with a loose swing. On Friday he fought his lower half for balance and pulled off, grounding everything to the left side. Saturday, his balance was improved and he used the middle and opposite fields. Looks like more of a doubles/gap power type with maybe 10-12 home runs a year in pro ball. He has contact and pitch recognition skills that should allow him to also hit for average, as well as take his share of walks. His above average-to-plus speed plays in the game. Ran 4.02 and 4.14 on ground outs to the shortstop and a 4.18 on an infield single. The 4.02 was recorded on a two-strike, out front swing where his momentum was already leaning out of the batter’s box, a.k.a. jailbreak.Showed quick feet with good acceleration stealing second base, as well as good instincts stealing third base a couple of pitches later. Showed above average arm strength with a quick release and solid carry to his target. Threw from multiple angles, all with good accuracy. Although not a silky smooth defender, Hoerner has good hands and is aggressive and confident on the dirt. Showed at least average range. During the weekend, he made all but two plays. Saturday he forgot who was running and took his time on the transfer. The runner beat the throw on what should have been a routine ground out. The second was a fielding error as he moved to his left, fielded the ball too close to his body and was handcuffed by the hop. Scouts are mixed on his ability to stay at shortstop or return to second base where he played as a freshman. I lean towards his ability to stay at shortstop with his instincts as the primary reason, in addition to the tools/skills mentioned above. Look around the big leagues, all shortstops are not Omar Vizquel. Overall, Hoerner is a gamer. All of his tools are useable as he influences the outcome of the game on defense, in the batter’s box and on the base paths. He also looked to be well-liked by his teammates and a leader for the Cardinal. Most likely he will be selected somewhere in the middle of Day 1 of the draft, with a possibility of going higher by agreeing to a deal for less than slot, saving a club money that it can use elsewhere in the draft

4/11/18 -5’11/195, Junior. Strong frame with thicker lower half. Quiet set-up, barrel is vertical to slightly tipped back at load. Possesses quick hands and leverage in swing. Similar set-up to Alex Bregman. Low hands, high back elbow. Runs better than frame would indicate. 4.1 down the line. Solid actions, average arm. Above average body control. Went deep in the hole for a ball, didn’t have a play on the runner, but slid and was able to spring to his feet and be in a throwing position. Not a slam dunk to stay at shortstop, but certainly won’t hurt you there. Can play anywhere on the dirt.