DENVER – Jump throws aren’t part of Nico Hoerner’s pregame routine. But they’ve become a regular feature in his defensive highlight reel at shortstop this year.
“There’s fundamentals in a play like that, of sorts, but it’s not something you go into the game like, ‘Today’s the day I’m going to do that,’” Hoerner said. “The game kind of tells you at a certain point.”
It told him it was time during spring training on a chopper to his right against the Angles, resulting in an inning-ending play. It told him again in Pittsburgh last weekend, as he traveled deep into the hole and robbed Ke’Bryan Hayes of a single.