Is Nico Hoerner the Most Underrated Player in Baseball?

·35 min·2 clips

Horner's .371 average with runners in scoring position outranks Jazz Chisholm and Ketel Marte.

1. The Setup Man: Chicago Cubs Podcast spends this episode on Cubs outfield depth and MLB Network's 2026 player rankings. 2. Alex and Ty Lewin host the show, and they frame the conversation around Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson, and Nico Horner. 3. The episode asks whether Nico Horner is the Cubs' most underrated player and whether MLB ranking lists overvalue home runs. 4. The opening segment breaks down Chas McCormick, a 31-year-old former Houston Astro whose 2023 line and injuries in 2024-25 drive his fit. 5. The hosts also profile Dylan Carlson, a 27-year-old former St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick whose 2021 season included 3.2 WAR and 18 homers. 6. They say Carlson's minor-league deal pays $2 million if he makes the majors, with up to $1 million more in incentives. 7. The discussion turns to a fourth-outfield battle for the Cubs and the need for a left-handed bench bat. 8. MLB Network's 2026 top 100 leaves Nico Horner out while ranking Seiya Suzuki 77th, Michael Busch 67th, PCA 40th, and Alex Bregman 35th. 9. The hosts compare Horner with Ivan Herrera, Colson Montgomery, Cole Ragans, Kyle Stowers, and Eugenio Suarez to test the list's logic. 10. They also note MLB Network ranked Horner third among second basemen, behind Jazz Chisholm and Ketel Marte. 11. Alex cites Horner's 4.8 FanGraphs WAR in 2025 as a better indicator of value than raw home-run totals. 12. He also points to Horner's .371 batting average with runners in scoring position, which he says ranked second in baseball. 13. Ty uses Jazz Chisholm's and Ketel Marte's WAR and RISP numbers to show how the list rewards slugging more than total value. 14. The argument widens into a case for contact hitters, elite defense, and baserunning over a pure three-true-outcomes model. 15. Alex says Horner is a great-to-elite defender, a strong contact hitter, and a good baserunner, which makes him useful for any contender. 16. The hosts contrast that profile with power-first names like Eugenio Suarez and ask what happens when lists reward only homers. 17. The episode stays loose and argumentative, with jokes about an intern building the list and side references to MLB The Show and the Shredder. 18. The tone swings between baseball analysis and locker-room banter, including interruptions, self-deprecating jokes, and a sponsor break for Advocare Spark. 19. Cubs fans who follow roster moves, player rankings, and second-base debates would get the most from this episode. 20. People who want a tightly edited recap or non-baseball conversation can skip it.

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