Chicago Cubs Top Pitching Prospect Continues to Post Eye-Popping Numbers in Triple-A

Cade Horton, the No. 47 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, put together another sterling start on Sunday for the Iowa Cubs.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton throws against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Sloan Park on March 21. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs prospect Cade Horton put together another fantastic start for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday afternoon, tossing six innings of one-run ball. Through six starts, he has a miniscule 1.24 ERA.

Horton is the No. 47 prospect in baseball and the No. 2 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Horton has fanned 33 batters in 29.0 innings.

After allowing just 1 run and 2 hits over 6 frames today, @Cubs No. 2 prospect Cade Horton now has a 1.24 ERA across 6 starts for the @IowaCubs this season 😯 pic.twitter.com/s6iocsVSwU

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 4, 2025

Horton is predicted to make his major league debut this season, and it's just a question of when. Cubs' left-hander Shota Imanaga injured his hamstring on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, so perhaps Horton could get the call if Imanaga needs to be sidelined.

A great athlete, Horton was originally supposed to play quarterback and baseball at Oklahoma, but he never ended up making it to Norman, opting to sign with the Cubs instead.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Horton's plus-plus mid-80s slider with two-plane depth was as effective as ever last season, producing a 49 percent chase rate and 50 percent swing-and-miss rate. His fastball dipped slightly when his shoulder began bothering him, but when healthy, he operates in the mid 90s and peaks at 98 mph with carry and run. He'll use a low-80s curveball to give hitters a different look, while his upper-80s changeup has some fade and can miss bats, but he has trouble throwing it for strike

The Cubs will be in action on Monday night against the San Francisco Giants. The Iowa Cubs will be off, as is the norm in the minor leagues.

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