One of the top 10 right-handed pitchers in the game is a prospect for the Chicago Cubs.
Cubs fans are becoming more familiar with Cade Horton, and not just because the team selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma.
He rocketed through Chicago’s system in less than two years, finishing the previous season at Double-A Tennessee.
He is currently ranked as baseball’s third-best right-handed pitching prospect by MLB.com.
Why? It’s partially due to his slider, one of his backup pitches. In a different survey, four pitchers—two left-handers and one right-hander—were asked to rank Horton’s slider as one of the finest in the game by MLB management.
Horton is ranked as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect and is one of three pitchers in the Top 10 in the organisation, along with Jordan Wicks (No. 10), a left-hander who made his Major League debut last season, and Ben Brown (No. 6), another right-hander.
After a stellar 2022 campaign at Oklahoma (going 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA in 14 games, 11 starts), Horton advanced to Tennessee in 2023 after beginning the year at Class-A Myrtle Beach. After he led Oklahoma on a deep run in the College World Series, the Cubs shut him down.
Horton made 21 starts for Class-A Myrtle Beach, High Class-A South Bend, and Double-A Tennessee last season, going 4-4 with a 2.65 ERA. With a 1.00 WHIP, he pitched 88.1 innings while allowing just 61 hits and 32 runs (28 earned).
In addition, he gave up just.191 in hits against him and walked 27 hitters in addition to striking out 117.
Paul Skenes of Pittsburgh was ranked first, followed by Jackson Jobe of Detroit. Horton was followed in the Top 10 by Andrew Painter of Philadelphia, Jacob Misiorowski of Milwaukee, Rhett Lowder of Cincinnati, Mick Abel of Philadelphia, Chase Dollander of Colorado, Dylan Lesko of San Diego, and Noble Meyer of Miami.
According to recent remarks made by Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer, the team is attempting to re-sign free-agent slugger Cody Bellinger.
“I think the world of Cody,” Hoyer said to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. He clearly had a fantastic year here. He not only had a fantastic year for us, but he also got along well with the players, fans, and city. He is well-liked by the players, and he is aware of my admiration for him. Nothing about that has changed.
Bellinger reverted to his previous level of performance in 2023, following a decline in recent seasons. The National League MVP and one-time rookie of the year dropped.In 2023, he hit.307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI, which won him the NL Comeback Player of the Year award.
