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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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Winning the batting title used to be the end-all, be-all in Major League Baseball. But it still means something to the players that do it.
Entering play on Monday, there are just six qualified hitters batting .300 or better this season, and five of them play in the American League. Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, who is nursing a hamstring injury and may not return until the playoffs, leads the National League at .305.
That leaves the door open for an unheralded star, Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, to swoop in and steal the crown if he has a big final two weeks.
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Hoerner went 2-for-4 on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and the second hit was a massive two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Cubs ahead for good. He was batting .299 on the season as of Monday, with 13 games to play.
Is the batting title on Hoerner's mind? The 28-year-old had no problem admitting so after the win over Tampa Bay.
"Yeah, of course," Hoerner said, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. "I don't think batting average is always the healthiest goal or a thing to prioritize on the day to day, but it is the product of quality at-bats and consistent contact. It would just be a really cool thing along the way, for sure."
At the conclusion of play on Sunday, Hoerner was batting .396 in 12 games in September, slugging .625 and putting up a 1.067 OPS. In general, he's been about a league-average hitter throughout his career, so if he gives them stretches like this, it's insanely valuable.
Speaking of value, you could make a strong case that Hoerner is the Cubs' Most Valuable Player this year. He's quietly taken over the team lead in wins above replacement from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, 6.0 to 5.8.
Hoerner didn't make the All-Star team this year, but a batting title and a second Gold Glove would certainly be promising accolades to add to his resume entering his walk year in March.
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