Cade Horton
23-Year-Old
Chicago Cubs AAA
60-Day IL
Injury Shoulder
Est. Return 3/1/2025
2024 Stats
W-L
0-0
ERA
0.00
WHIP
0.00
K
0
SV
0
2025 Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Seemingly everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Horton in 2024, and he went from one of the top pitching prospects in the game to a high-risk flyer in dynasty leagues. There were red flags from the jump, with Horton surprisingly not getting assigned to big-league spring training, and then curiously getting sent back to Double-A to start the year, rather than Triple-A. Once he got the bump to Triple-A at the end of April and we could track his starts on Statcast, it became clear that Horton was sitting 93 mph and touching 95 mph with his fastball after sitting at 95-97 mph in 2023 (touching 98 mph). Unsurprisingly, he was shut down with a shoulder strain at the end of May, and he never returned following an August setback. Horton had Tommy John surgery while at Oklahoma and his 88.1 innings in 2023 were a career high, so when factoring in his 2024 shoulder injury, the durability risk is off the charts. His slider is good enough that he could still end up being a closer or a 120-140 inning per year starter, but it makes more sense to hold or cash out this offseason than to buy in dynasty leagues. Read Past Outlooks
Set for shoulder exam
Horton will undergo an exam on his right shoulder in mid-November in hopes of gaining clearance to begin a throwing program, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
ANALYSIS
Horton missed the final four months of the 2024 season due to a moderate subscapularis strain in his pitching shoulder. If he's able to begin throwing this month, the 23-year-old should have a relatively normal offseason. Horton got off to a great start at Double-A Tennessee (1.10 ERA) this season but posted a 7.50 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Iowa before getting injured. He is likely to return to Iowa to begin 2025 but, if healthy, has a good shot to enter the Cubs' rotation at some point during the season.
Horton missed the final four months of the 2024 season due to a moderate subscapularis strain in his pitching shoulder. If he's able to begin throwing this month, the 23-year-old should have a relatively normal offseason. Horton got off to a great start at Double-A Tennessee (1.10 ERA) this season but posted a 7.50 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Iowa before getting injured. He is likely to return to Iowa to begin 2025 but, if healthy, has a good shot to enter the Cubs' rotation at some point during the season.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
Assuming Horton, who had Tommy John surgery in 2021 while at Oklahoma, stayed healthy and showed similar stuff to what he displayed in the 2022 College World Series, he figured to rank as one of the game's top pitching prospects after his first full season, and that's exactly where things stand. The 6-foot-1 righty boasts a mid-90s fastball that regularly touches 98 mph. He also has one of the best sliders in the minors -- a high-spin mid-80s offering. He throws a changeup and curveball, but he doesn't need those pitches much to dominate when he's locating his fastball. Horton tallied 88.1 innings in 21 starts across Single-A, High-A and Double-A. He spent over half the season at High-A, where he had three blowup starts and still managed a 1.00 WHIP and 3.83 ERA. Horton had a seven-start stretch to close the year where he had a 1.16 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 31 innings. He also had a six-start run in the first half at High-A where he had a 1.30 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP with 46 strikeouts in 27.2 innings. We're still waiting to see if he can handle a big-league starter's workload, but Horton has the stuff to dominate at the highest level. Last year, we saw many teams push upper-level pitchers of Horton's caliber to the big leagues quicker than in past years, so a first-half MLB debut could happen for Horton.
More Fantasy News
Likely out for season
Horton recently suffered a setback in his rehab for a right lat strain and isn't expected to return from Triple-A Iowa's 60-day injured list this season, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Shut down 3-to-4 weeks
Horton (lat) was diagnosed with a subscapular strain Tuesday and will be shut down from throwing for 3-to-4 weeks, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Nursing lat issue at Triple-A
Horton was removed Wednesday from his start with Triple-A Iowa due to right lat soreness, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
ANALYSIS
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Velocity slightly down from 2023
Horton averaged 93.4 mph (touched 94.9 mph) with his fastball in his first start for Triple-A Iowa on May 4 and averaged 93.9 mph (touched 95.5 mph) in his second start May 10 after sitting at 95-97 mph with his fastball and regularly touching 98 mph in 2023.
ANALYSIS
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Moving up to Triple-A
Horton has been promoted from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
MLB debut on horizon
It would be a "surprise if the Cubs don't promote Cade Horton to the majors this year," in the eyes of Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
Horton has yet to graduate beyond Double-A, but his results thus far have been dominant. The 22-year-old owns a 1.56 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through five starts -- comparable to his 3.82 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 11 Single-A starts prior. The No.7 overall pick from the 2022 Draft is showcasing notable command and 12.2 K/9 stuff.
Horton has yet to graduate beyond Double-A, but his results thus far have been dominant. The 22-year-old owns a 1.56 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through five starts -- comparable to his 3.82 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 11 Single-A starts prior. The No.7 overall pick from the 2022 Draft is showcasing notable command and 12.2 K/9 stuff.