Who does Nico Hoerner think he is, anyway? The next Willson Contreras?
Fans should remember Contreras’ first at-bat of his major league career. It came in 2016 against the Pirates at Wrigley Field, and the catcher rose to the moment in a huge way by blasting a two-run homer to center field on the very first pitch he saw. The Cubs were on their way to the World Series.
Fast-forward to Friday, with the Cubs hammering the Pirates 17-8 in the opener of a crucial 10-game stretch at Wrigley. On the first pitch of Hoerner’s first at-bat in a ballpark where he hopes to distinguish himself over a long career, the 22-year-old shortstop hit a two-run rocket into the shrubs beyond the basket in center.