Cade

Horton

Mooney reported from manager Craig Counsell’s press conference that the Cubs are likely going to look to add a veteran starting pitcher to join Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad. That means that the younger starters are not in any Opening Day plans as of now. “Now with all of them, there’s been injuries,” explained Counsell. “And it’s not a big sample as of yet. But that’s also kind of the nature of pitching. It’s the nature of young pitching.” Horton was one of the most well-regarded pitching prospects in the minors before a shoulder injury ended his season in August. As of now, it appears that fantasy managers are hoping for a mid-season call-up in 2025 at best.

Horton hasn’t pitched for Triple-A Iowa since late May due to a right shoulder strain and won’t return this season at all. The 22-year-old righty remains one of the better pitching prospects in the game, but he’s going to have to make up for some lost development time, and has been passed by some of the other big-time rising pitching prospects — most notably Chase Dollander, Brandon Sproat and Bubba Chandler — this season from a dynasty standpoint.

Horton has been diagnosed with a moderate right shoulder strain, which make it unlikely he’ll be cleared to resume throwing until at least late June or early July. The 22-year-old is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and ascended to Triple-A Iowa last month after a dominant four-start stretch for Double-A Tennessee to open the year. He has a chance to reach the majors at some point later this season, if he manages to return healthy. Shoulder injuries can be complicated matters, so fantasy managers should expect the Cubs to proceed with extreme caution moving forward.

The 22-year-old will go to Chicago to get checked out so the Cubs can better understand the extent of the injury. The seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft was promoted to Triple-A after four strong starts at Double-A to begin 2024. His first two Triple-A starts weren’t great, but he had been looking better of late, allowing four earned runs in 10 innings over his last two starts, striking out nine and walking two. If he’s out for an extended period, it could jeopardize a potential summer promotion to the big leagues.

Horton allowed five hits, including a pair of homers, finishing with five strikeouts and four walks. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect was promoted to Triple-A Iowa earlier this month and has been hit hard in a pair of outings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League so far. He’s one of the most talented young pitchers in the game, but he’s probably going to get lit up for a bit as he acclimates to life on the doorstep of the majors.

Horton has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball over the last few years and earns the call to Triple-A Iowa after posting a microscopic 1.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 18/2 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings (four starts) for Double-A Tennessee. The 22-year-old righty was universally-regarded as a top 25 overall prospect in baseball entering the 2024 campaign and figures to arrive at Wrigley Field in the next few months, if not sooner.

Jim Callis of MLB.com reports that Horton will get a $4.45 million signing bonus, which is well under the slot value of $5,711,000 for the seventh overall selection in the draft. Callis notse that the additional savings allowed the Cubs to snag Jackson Ferris in the second round of the draft.

No player in this class improved his stock more than Horton thanks to his sensational work in helping Oklahoma reach the College World Series final. He’s also one of the players with the most leverage because he’s a draft-eligible sophomore, but a selection this high suggests he’s likely to end up in the minors rather than with the Sooners. The standout pitch for the 20-year-old is his wipeout slider, but he also has a fastball that can get into the high 90s and he’s shown the makings of a solid change as well. Command is not Horton’s strong suit just yet, but it’s worth pointing out that he’s a former quarterback and infielder; so full dedication on the mound should help in that regard. He’s not a future ace, but Horton is the best of a bad college pitching situation, and has a chance to pitch near the top of a rotation if everything clicks.