Top Cubs prospect is becoming the anchor their rotation needs

It took a little over a month before the Chicago Cubs were confronted with a pitching staff crisis. Injuries to Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Justin Steele, who is out for the season, have effectively hamstrung the Cubs starting rotation. 

As a whole, the Wrigleyville pitching staff has been mediocre, combining to own a 3.83 ERA, 13^th in the MLB. Not including their trio of injured front-line arms, three current Cubs starters (with more than three starts this season) own ERAs of 3.76 or higher. However, one such starter has been on the rise.

Before getting the call, Cubs No. 2 prospect (No. 35 on MLB pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list) Cade Horton was throwing to a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings with Triple-A Iowa. Having made his MLB debut on May 11, Horton is quickly rising to the challenge of stabilizing the team’s fractured rotation.

After a rocky first outing against the Mets, Horton is showing signs of settling in, lowering his ERA from 6.75 to a more tolerable 4.21 while garnering a total of 19 strikeouts over 25.2 innings. In his past three starts, Horton performed well, giving up six runs in 16.2 innings. While still far from perfect, Horton has been able to keep his team in the game as any reliable anchor should, accumulating a 3-0 record.

The promising rookie alone may not be able to solve Chicago's pitching woes, but if he can continue to hone his craft, his presence behind Imanaga and Matthew Boyd can’t be understated. Boasting an electric five-pitch arsenal, scouts project the young righty could, at one point, become the Cubs’ ace. But for now, he will need to settle for the role of anchor. 

Should Horton keep posting quality numbers, this would go a long way in sweetening the sour taste that Steele’s injury left behind.