Nico Hoerner praises Cubs' resiliency: It's 'not going to be always smooth and sexy for 162 games'

(670 The Score) While the Cubs had a frustrating split of a four-game series against the lowly Marlins over the weekend, second baseman Nico Hoerner has been impressed by the club’s ability to handle challenges early in the season.

The Cubs have dealt with injuries to key players – including to ace Justin Steele, right-hander Jameson Taillon and outfielder Seiya Suzuki – and endured a tough nine-game road trip out West, but they’ve still managed to start 13-9 and sit in second place in the NL Central, 1.5 games back of the Brewers.

On the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Tuesday afternoon, Hoerner explained how the Cubs’ experiences in 2023 have helped them handle adversity this season. The Cubs went 83-79 last season, when they missed the playoffs by one game.

“You’re not going to be always smooth and sexy for 162 games,” Hoerner said. “That’s not really how this sport works. Last year was anything but that for sure. I think we all improved because of it even though we did come up short. Last year, I think, was pretty abnormal in a lot of ways, you know, having some brutal stretches like in May but then also a special turnaround when we needed it most. It was a lot to experience, but I think it develops a lot of character. And I think it’s not by chance that you see a group handling some challenges so far pretty well.

“We’re at a point now where we’re having some consistency in our roster from year-to-year, so guys who were here last year, we did experience a lot together. A lot of that was challenging. A lot of that was really fun, but all of those things contribute to being able to stay level-headed through whatever it is that shows up next.”