Where would the Cubs be without Cade Horton? It’s a question that needs to be asked, and one that should lead more people to realize how instrumental Horton has been to a team teetering on mediocrity for a little while now. He has now thrown 23.1 scoreless innings in a row, the longest streak by a rookie in Cubs history, and his 3.18 ERA over 79.1 innings puts him in the conversation with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga as part of a playoff rotation.
The Oklahoma native was a top prospect right out of the gate, as most seventh-overall picks tend to be, and rose quickly to Double-A in his first professional season.