The latest on Cubs top pitching prospect Cade Horton

Cade Horton said he is feeling good physically and is ready to go for spring training.
It’s good news regarding the Cubs’ top pitching prospect, who entered 2024 poised to potentially make his major league debut over the summer before an injury ended his season prematurely.
“It was a Grade 2 subscap strain,” Horton said at Cubs Convention on Saturday. “I just felt some pain in my lat and thought I probably shouldn’t throw through this. Let’s get it checked out, and that’s what we did.”
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Horton, the Cubs’ 2022 first-round draft pick, opened last season with Double-A Tennessee and made four starts before he was promoted to Triple-A Iowa on April 30. He made five starts with the I-Cubs, including what ultimately was his final outing of the season on May 29. He landed on the injured list on May 31.
As a competitor, Horton wants to be on the mound and take the ball each time his number is called. Although his 2024 season didn’t go as perhaps hoped, the 23-year-old recognized the importance of balancing that with the bigger picture.
“That is tough, because I’m always the guy that’s wanting to go until I break,” Horton said. “Just having those people around me to be like, ‘No, let’s do the smart thing. You have a whole career ahead of you.’ That’s what I’ve really learned. You should say something and get right, because it’s hard to go out there and pitch if you aren’t feeling good.”
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Horton worked on strengthening his shoulder while rehabbing and said he was able to enter the offseason with a normal throwing progression. He has begun to get off the mound, throwing touch-and-feel bullpen sessions.
With the adversity he faced last season, Horton has embraced the mental side of the game and the lessons he can take from what he has experienced.
“I actually read something this offseason; it talks about a golf ball, and a golf ball started off by being smooth,” Horton said. “And then somebody had the great idea to put dents in it, and that made the ball go further. And I think that reflects a lot of me.
“Sometimes getting hurt and doing these things, I can learn more about myself that’s going to take me further than if I wouldn’t have faced this adversity.”
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The expectation is Horton will open the 2025 season in Triple-A, again putting him one phone call away from the majors. His return to game action will be key for the Cubs’ overall pitching depth, not unlike right-hander Ben Brown, whose ‘24 season was impacted by a neck injury that sidelined him from early June onward.
“I think that one of the things that hurt us last year was we have really good young pitching, and a lot of those guys got hurt last year and weren’t able to give us the innings that we had hoped for,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “And that hurt our depth a lot. For me, it’s health.
“[Brown and Horton] are both super talented. They’re going to get major league hitters out. And really, it’s about having those guys healthy. I put [Jordan] Wicks in that category as well. I feel a heck of a lot better about our pitching depth and our pitching in general, if those guys are healthy and pitching as they can.”
Teams can never have enough pitching, and the Cubs continue to build on their depth. Their rotation picture includes veterans Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Javier Assad and Colin Rea, and younger arms such as Wicks, Brown and Horton.
Brown made 15 appearances for the Cubs last season, including eight starts. Whether Horton follows a similar path to the majors as he resumes on his developmental track, he’s open-minded to contributing however the Cubs need this season.
“I’m just wanting to find a seat on the plane and help my team win,” Horton said. “That’s my job at the end of the day, is to go out there and get outs, whether that be in the bullpen, whether that be starting. It really doesn’t matter to me. I want to help the Chicago Cubs win, and that’s my goal.”