Cade Horton

Cade Horton

24-Year-Old PitcherSP
Chicago Cubs
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
RANKS
Rest of Season From Preseason
#391
ADP
Signed a one-year contract with the Cubs in May of 2025.
Expected to have normal offseason
PChicago Cubs
October 15, 2025
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday that Horton (rib) was going to be on the NLCS roster if the team advanced, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Analysis
Horton exited his final regular-season start with a right rib fracture and was not on the wild-card or NLDS rosters, but he appears to be healthy now and is expected to have a relatively normal offseason. The rookie right-hander collected a 2.67 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 97:33 K:BB over 118 regular-season innings for the Cubs.
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Pitching Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
2025
2025 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
78
Last 10 Games
70
Last 5 Games
68
How many pitches does Cade Horton generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Cade Horton generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
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3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
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8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
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Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2023
 
 
-27%
BAA vs RHP
2025
 
 
-27%
BAA vs RHP
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2023vs Left .251 248 46 17 57 8 1 5
Since 2023vs Right .184 228 51 16 38 9 0 5
2025vs Left .251 248 46 17 57 8 1 5
2025vs Right .184 228 51 16 38 9 0 5
2024vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2023
 
 
-55%
ERA at Home
2025
 
 
-55%
ERA at Home
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2023Home 1.63 0.94 55.1 3 1 0 7.0 2.3 0.8
Since 2023Away 3.59 1.21 62.2 8 3 0 7.8 2.7 0.7
2025Home 1.63 0.94 55.1 3 1 0 7.0 2.3 0.8
2025Away 3.59 1.21 62.2 8 3 0 7.8 2.7 0.7
2024Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Cade Horton compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
2.94
 
K/9
7.4
 
BB/9
2.5
 
HR/9
0.8
 
Fastball
95.7 mph
 
ERA
2.67
 
WHIP
1.08
 
BABIP
.265
 
GB/FB
1.18
 
Left On Base
77.2%
 
Exit Velocity
83.9 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
6.0%
 
Spin Rate
2443 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
28.3%
 
Swinging Strike
11.4%
 
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Cade Horton See More
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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.
A draft-eligible sophomore from Oklahoma who had Tommy John surgery in 2021, Horton increased his draft stock with a dominant performance in the College World Series, showcasing a deadly repertoire of hard, high-spin offerings. A former two-way talent and two-sport athlete (he also played quarterback), Horton's future is now squarely on the mound after his exploits for the Sooners in the postseason, including 40 strikeouts in his final four starts. The Cubs snagged him with the seventh overall pick and gave him $4.45 million (under slot). The 6-foot-1, 211-pound righty has a prototypical four-seamer that touches 98 mph and darts away from barrels. His mid-80s slider (touches 90 mph) might be his best pitch, as he can land it for strikes or get ugly swings when he buries it in the dirt. His curveball and changeup need further development, and he threw only 53.2 innings in college, which adds some uncertainty regarding his ability to handle a starter's workload. However, the fact he is healthy and finished strong against the best teams in the country makes him an appealing high-upside option in a muddled pitching class. He will make his pro debut in 2023.
More Fantasy News
Slated for another bullpen session
PChicago Cubs
Ribs
October 8, 2025
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Horton's (rib) light bullpen session Monday went well and the hurler is scheduled for another bullpen session Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
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Throwing bullpen session Tuesday
PChicago Cubs
Ribs
October 7, 2025
Horton (rib) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
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Throwing off mound this week
PChicago Cubs
Ribs
October 6, 2025
Horton (rib) is scheduled to throw off a mound this week, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Analysis
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Placed on IL
PChicago Cubs
Ribs
September 27, 2025
The Cubs placed Horton on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Sept. 25, due to a right rib fracture, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
Analysis
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Throwing bullpen Sunday
PChicago Cubs
Ribs
September 27, 2025
Horton (ribs) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Won't pitch in wild-card round
PChicago Cubs
September 27, 2025
Horton won't pitch in the NL Wild Card Series and will be out until deep in the NLDS after being placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to a rib injury, according to Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com.
Analysis
This is a huge blow for the Cubs' chances of making a deep postseason run, as Horton had been the team's best pitcher by a wide margin during the second half of the season. Horton posted a 2.67 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 97:33 K:BB over 118 innings in his first season in the majors. The 24-year-old rookie will be eligible for reinstatement Oct. 10, one day before Game 5 of the NLDS. With Horton unavailable, Chicago will have to lean on Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon to spearhead its postseason rotation.
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