The Chicago Cubs are currently first in the National League Central with a 22-16 record, but there is cause for concern because their pitching is starting to get thin. All-Star Justin Steele is out for the season after having Tommy John surgery. Javier Assad remains sidelined after suffering multiple oblique strains.
Moreover, All-Star Shota Imanaga just recently went on the injured list with a strained left hamstring and won’t be back until June at the earliest. However, the team is calling up one of their top prospects to fill in the gap.
The Cubs Are Calling Up Cade Horton This Weekend
The team has decided to call up top pitching prospect Horton to debut during their upcoming series in New York against the Mets. While the Cubs’ rotation is missing their All-Stars, they still have solid pieces. Matthew Boyd has pitched to a 2.75 ERA so far this season, while Colin Rea has a 2.43 ERA between the bullpen and rotation. Jameson Taillon also has a solid 3.86 ERA.
However, there are limitations with each of them. Boyd is a quality starter, but asking him to pitch like an ace over a full season is unrealistic. Rea is surely going to regress as he takes on a heavier workload, considering he’s never had an ERA under four in a full season. Taillon is what he is, at this point, a solid mid-rotation starter. Horton is bringing an upside to the rotation that no one else has.
The Cubs selected Horton with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Horton pitched at the University of Oklahoma and notably had Tommy John surgery in his freshman year. Horton quickly rose up the Cubs system and was rated the team’s number two prospect and a top 50 overall prospect heading into this season.
Horton currently has a 1.24 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Iowa. He’s considered a plus athlete as a pitcher, as he originally planned to play baseball and football at Oklahoma. Horton also played third base for a season at Oklahoma.
Horton’s best pitch is considered his slider. The depth and spin of the pitch allow Horton to control both left and right-handed hitters. His low and away slider to right-handed hitters is considered Horton’s top strikeout pitch. Horton also has the velocity that teams are looking for in a potential ace.
While he prefers to work in the 94-96 miles per hour range, he can reach back and hit 99 miles per hour when he needs it. Horton also throws a curveball and change-up, though scouts grade those pitches lower than his other two offerings.
Horton is often compared to Dylan Cease because of their ability to dominate hitters with sliders while also mixing in high-velocity fastballs to keep them off balance. The majority of scouts believe Horton can be an ace if he continues improving his control and is able to build his curve or change-up into a top pitch like his slider and fastball.