Cade Horton

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Cade Horton

|image =

|team = Chicago Cubs

|number = 22

|position = Pitcher

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|8|20}}

|birth_place = Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = May 10

|debutyear = 2025

|debutteam = Chicago Cubs

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = June 13, 2025

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 3–1

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 3.47

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 29

|teams =

Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|2025}}–present)

}}

Cade Michael Horton (born August 20, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Horton played college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners and was selected by the Cubs in the first round with the seventh overall selection in the 2022 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2025.

Amateur career

Horton grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and attended Norman High School, where he played baseball and football.{{cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/columns/2019/08/15/ou-commit-cade-horton-turns-page-from-baseball-to-football-at-norman/60440965007/|title=OU commit Cade Horton turns page from baseball to football at Norman|work=The Oklahoman|date=August 15, 2019|access-date=June 25, 2022}} Horton committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma and to join the school's football team as a walk-on.{{cite web|url=https://www.normantranscript.com/oklahoma/norman-highs-cade-horton-commits-to-oklahoma-for-football-baseball/article_e98b49ee-18f9-11e9-ac8b-bbbbd5751ec0.html|title=Norman High's Cade Horton commits to Oklahoma for football, baseball|work=The Norman Transcript|date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=June 24, 2022}} In his senior football season, he passed for 3,084 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions and also rushed for 1,149 yards and 15 touchdowns.{{cite web|url=https://www.normantranscript.com/sports/high_school_sports/decisions-decisions-norman-highs-cade-horton-weighs-options-entering-uncertain-summer/article_f0b2808f-0513-52d1-a331-7b467217f146.html|title=Norman High's Cade Horton weighs options entering uncertain summer|work=The Norman Transcript|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=June 25, 2022}} Horton was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year in baseball after batting .375 in five games before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.{{cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/2020/05/22/gatorade-honor-goes-to-norman-ace-horton/60399696007/|title=Gatorade honor goes to Norman ace Horton|work=The Oklahoman|date=May 22, 2020|access-date=June 25, 2022}}

Horton tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow prior to the start of his freshman season, requiring him to undergo Tommy John surgery and redshirt the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2022/04/08/ou-baseball-cade-horton-grew-missing-last-season-due-injury/9500179002/|title=OU baseball: Cade Horton grew from missing last season due to injury|work=The Oklahoman|date=April 8, 2022|access-date=June 24, 2022}} He began his redshirt freshman season playing third base and occasionally pitching in relief while he was still recovering from his elbow surgery.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3380325/2022/06/24/cade-horton-mlb-draft-oklahoma-college-world-series/|title=Cade Horton's MLB Draft stock is rising with every pitch for Oklahoma|first=Alec|last=Lewis|website=The Athletic|date=June 24, 2022|access-date=June 24, 2022}} Horton was later moved to the Sooners' starting rotation.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/cade-hortons-gem-leads-oklahoma-to-college-world-series-win/|title=Cade Horton's Gem Leads Oklahoma To College World Series win|work=Baseball America|date=June 19, 2022|access-date=June 25, 2022}} He reached the Men's College World Series with the Sooners, where he started in two games. In the MCWS Finals game versus Ole Miss he registered a career high 13 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.{{cite web|url=https://soonersports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-horton/15056|title=Cade Horton|access-date=June 30, 2023}}

Professional career

Horton was selected in the first round with the seventh overall selection by the Chicago Cubs of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/cubs-cade-horton-snagged-by-cubs-with-no-7-pick/ | title=Cubs' Cade Horton: Snagged by Cubs with No. 7 pick | date=July 17, 2022 }} He signed with the team for $4.45 million.{{cite web | url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2022/7/23/23275437/cubs-sign-2022-first-round-draft-pick-cade-horton-below-slot-value-dan-kantrovitz | title=Cubs sign 2022 first-round draft pick Cade Horton, eight of first 10 selections | date=July 23, 2022 }}

= 2025 =

Horton started the year at Triple-A Iowa as the top pitching prospect on the team. He went 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA in six starts.{{cite news |last1=Beach |first1=Jerry |title=Cade Horton wins his MLB debut as the Cubs hold off the Mets 6-5 |url=https://apnews.com/article/cubs-mets-score-horton-643c515593392ee03a903922e8c2b7e2 |access-date=May 13, 2025 |work=AP News |date=May 11, 2025 |language=en}}

On May 10, 2025, Horton was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.{{Cite web|title=Cubs Promote Cade Horton|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/cubs-to-promote-cade-horton.html|access-date=May 10, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} Horton made his MLB debut that day against the New York Mets, pitching four innings in relief. He allowed three runs on four hits while striking out five batters, earning his first career win.{{cite news |last1=Montemurro |first1=Meghan |title=How a changeup to slugger Juan Soto helped define Cade Horton’s solid MLB debut in the Chicago Cubs’ 6-5 win |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/10/chicago-cubs-cade-horton-mlb-debut-new-york-mets/ |access-date=May 13, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=May 11, 2025}}