Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs' Top Pitching Prospect Dominates In Season Debut

Cade Horton was dealing in his season debut for the Tennessee Smokies on Wednesday.

Tyler Maher

Cade Horton makes the first pitch
Cade Horton makes the first pitch / MATTIE NERETIN / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Wednesday wasn't a good day for the Chicago Cubs at the MLB level. Not only did the Cubs get pounded 10-2 by the San Diego Padres at Petco Park (losing the series in the process), but they also lost veteran starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks to the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Fortunately for Cubs fans, things were a bit brighter down on the farm.

Chicago's top pitching prospect Cade Horton made his season debut for the Tennessee Smokies (Triple-A), and he was sensational. Horton struck out four over four innings and showed good command of his pitches, throwing 36 of 53 for strikes.

The 22-year-old right-hander was the seventh overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He's progressed quickly through the Cubs' system, appearing at three levels last year (Single-A, High-A and Double-A), and making his Triple-A debut on Wednesday.

Horton has mowed down the competition at every level so far. Entering play on Wednesday, he owned a 2.65 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and an 11.9 K/9 in 21 minor-league starts.

He currently ranks as Chicago's No. 2 prospect on MLB Pipeline behind only outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and is listed as the No. 24 prospect in baseball.

With only 92 1/3 minor-league innings under his belt, Horton will likely spend much of the season at Triple-A building up his arm strength and ensuring he's ready for the big leagues.

If everything goes according to plan, Horton could be pitching at Wrigley Field by the end of the season.

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Tyler Maher

TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.