CHICAGO — Cade Horton and Moisés Ballesteros may be the two latest Cubs to make their debuts, but sharing a dugout is hardly a new experience for the young duo.

The Cubs called up Horton, their top pitching prospect and No. 3 ranked on Lance Brozdowski’s list, from Triple-A Iowa on May 10. He made his major league debut that day, tossing four innings and earning the win as the Cubs beat the New York Mets 6-5.

Just three days later, Horton’s Iowa teammate and the Cubs’ No. 5 prospect Ballesteros followed suit. He jumped right into Chicago’s starting lineup, hitting seventh as the designated hitter.

[MORE: Moisés Ballesteros draws rave reviews from Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen]

Horton, 23, said he never really envisioned coming up with Ballesteros at almost the exact same time.

“I knew he’d be up here soon,” Horton said. “I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”

It was perhaps a little earlier than expected for the Cubs, who needed to add a bat to the active roster when Ian Happ hit the 10-day IL.

[MORE: Ian Happ praises Cubs’ depth, Seiya Suzuki’s performance in left field]

Still, Ballesteros is an elite talent at the plate, and Horton knows how much his teammate earned his place on a major league roster.

“I’m super happy for him,” said Horton, who is set to make his first MLB start Friday. He deserves it — he’s worked so hard to get here.”

Ballesteros was just 17 years old when the Cubs signed him as an international free agent from Venezuela in 2021. A little over a year later, the Cubs drafted Horton No. 7 overall out of the University of Oklahoma.

Horton’s face lit up when he recalled seeing Ballesteros for the first time.

“I remember him being a young, young kid,” Horton said of becoming teammates with Ballesteros in 2022. “But he could rake. He was a guy who worked really, really hard.”

Before Tuesday’s contest, Horton and Ballesteros stood next to each other at the top of the dugout steps, taking in the atmosphere.

During the game, as Ballesteros was in the thick of his debut, Horton raved about his teammate’s plate approach while speaking to Marquee Sports Network’s Boog Sciambi.

Watch Cade Horton’s exclusive interview only on the Marquee Sports Network app.

“He just dances with the pitcher. He’s hardly ever not on time,” Horton said. “That’s a recipe for success.”

Now that they’re teammates on baseball’s biggest stage, Horton can look back at how significant it has been to share the journey with Ballesteros.

“It’s really cool — just having him as a teammate from 2022 to now,” Horton said. “Going through every level with him has been really special.”