Cubs Star Prospect Contender For 'Pitching Prospect of the Year'

The Chicago Cubs have gotten great impact from their rookie pitchers that they called up late in the season. Out of necessity due to injuries and poor play, the Cubs had to rely on Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks in the starting rotation.

Those two have delivered, stabilizing a pitching rotation that was one of the biggest question marks surrounding the team.

One of their other star pitching prospects is now being considered for the MiLB's "Pitching Prospect of the Year" award.

Cade Horton was the seventh overall pick by the Cubs in 2022. In his first professional season this year, the right hander has worked his way up from Single-A to Double-A.

The 22-year-old has started six games with the Tennessee Smokies, recording a 1-1 record and an ERA of 1.33.

Overall, Horton has started 26 games across three minor league levels and has recorded a 4-4 record with an ERA of 2.65. Through 88.1 innings pitched, he has 117 strikeouts and holding batters to an average of .191.

Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com wrote, "Even with the Cubs understandably being cautious with his workload, the right-hander managed to pitch his way across three levels and put himself on a fast track to Wrigley. Among all Minor League pitchers with 80 or more innings, Horton finished in the top five in both WHIP and K-BB percentage and was second in that group with a 2.99 xFIP. He stood out among his Top 100 colleagues as well, finishing second in WHIP and third in ERA, again among those top pitching prospects who surpassed the 80 IP mark."

Horton previously had Tommy John surgery that prevented him from pitching in 2021 and he hadn't performed well with the Oklahoma Sooners until late in the season during 2022.

Still, Chicago took a chance on him with their seventh pick and he's starting to look like he will be a future piece for the franchise moving forward.

Horton is expected to make his MLB debut at some point during the 2025 season.