6-13-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
After a close one last night, the Pirates will look to punch back tonight against Cade Horton, who enters with a 4.11 ERA with 25 strikeouts through his first 30.2 innings this season.
The rookie righty and Cubs top prospect was Chicago’s first round pick in the 2022 draft, selected 7th overall out of the University of Oklahoma.
He managed to surge through the minors with a 2.79 ERA through 151.2 innings across parts of 3 seasons – showing strong stuff but taking advantage of injuries at the major league level to make his way up to the club.
His pitch mix features velocity reaching up to 97-98 with his 4-seam and occasional sinker, dropping into the 80s with his sweeper, curve and changeup trio of secondaries with a high arm slot that drives the ball down with plus horizontal movement.
Horton works the fastball/changeup/curve against left handed hitters with an opponent batting average of .359 for the fastball but .071 on the changeup, which is generating an unfathomable 69% whiff rate.
Righties see a nearly even split of fastballs and sweepers, also having success against his heater (.368 batting average and .579 SLG) but struggling against the breaking ball (.193 BA for the sweeper).
He gets a of movement on his fastball but the sweeper and changeup are the strikeout pitches for Horton with 7 Ks coming against his changeup and 7 more against the sweeper, so they are his put away, swing-and-miss finishers once he gets hitters to two strikes.
Stay on the heat and watch for the break on the sweeper for righties or the spin drop on the changeup. He’s a very talented young pitcher who hasn’t gotten hit too hard yet in his professional career but the league eventually punches back and, hopefully, that happens today.
Steel City Pirates 