TORONTO — Cade Horton understands the Chicago Cubs’ big-picture vision for him this season.
They are being deliberate in his workload and usage with more than seven weeks left in the regular season and, the team hopes, the playoffs to follow. The 23-year-old rookie entered Wednesday having thrown more innings this year between Triple A and the majors than in any season in his career, while already at 75 more innings than he tossed in 2024, which ended prematurely from a shoulder injury.
As he prepared for Wednesday’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Horton knew that getting to this point of the season, and beyond, would require him to continue to figure out what he needs to do between starts for his run of success to roll on.
“It’s all about just getting into a good routine and sticking with that,” Horton told the Tribune. “Routines can be monotonous, and it’s the dirty work. It’s not fun, it’s not sexy. But it’s the work you have to put in to ultimately be successful.”
Horton extended his scoreless innings streak to 28 1/3 on Wednesday in the Cubs’ 4-1 win. After his no-hit bid ended with Andrés Giménez’s one-out single in the sixth, Horton’s night was done after walking Bo Bichette with two outs in the inning. The two outs he recorded in the sixth don’t count toward his streak, per MLB.
Reliever Andrew Kittredge promptly gave up an RBI double to Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., ending the streak. Horton struck out five of the first nine batters he faced and finished with a career-high eight. That he notched a career best against the toughest team to strike out in the majors highlights how nasty Horton’s stuff was against the Blue Jays.
“He was awesome, we’ve had some superlatives with him on each start and this was maybe the best one because it was just really, really good,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The stuff was just electric, and then that’s the beauty of being in the zone a lot, is that you get hitters in swing mode too, and then when the stuff is so good in the zone, they’re not going to lay off. Then that’s when you go to the strike-to-ball stuff, which he did really well, too.
“He’s pitching at a really high level right now.”
Catcher Miguel Amaya of the Chicago Cubs celebrates at the end of the first inning with starting pitcher Cade Horton during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 13, 2025, in Toronto. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Horton’s scoreless streak is the longest by a Cubs starter since Ryan Dempster’s 33 innings in 2012 and ranks 20th in franchise history. It’s the third-longest streak by a Cubs pitcher age 23 or younger since Vern Olsen’s 30 innings in 1941; Ken Holtzman had 33 straight innings in 1969.
Horton credited Miguel Amaya’s game-calling work behind the plate for how well the pitching sequencing played out to keep the Blue Jays guessing. Amaya was carted off the field in the eighth inning after sustaining a left ankle sprain from awkwardly stepping on first base while legging out an infield single.
The Cubs will keep managing Horton’s innings, even during games in which he’s in a groove. They generally have been keeping him around five innings or about 75 pitches — he threw 82 on Wednesday. Horton has taken a mature approach to the organization’s strategy.
“What comes with those decisions, you just have to take the emotions out of it and be logical with it,” Horton said. “It is the most innings I’ve thrown in a year, but also I want to be healthy at the end of the year. As a competitor it sucks, but also it’s the right thing to do, and so that makes it easier to adjust to it, for sure.”
Horton’s start on June 27 in Houston could have sent his season spiraling in the wrong direction. The Astros tagged him for seven runs in four-plus innings, an output that’s responsible for one-quarter of the total runs Horton has allowed with the Cubs. Instead, Horton came into Wednesday’s game not allowing a run in five of his last six starts.
“You can’t ride the wave, you have to stay, stay neutral, whether it’s going really good or whether it’s going really bad,” Horton said. “And that’s the good part, you get to go out there and do it again in five, six days.”
Horton sounds like a veteran speaking matter-of-factly about the realities of being a pitcher. His demeanor continues to impress teammates and personnel around the team. Great numbers aside, including a 3.18 ERA in 15 games (14 starts), Horton’s makeup and even-keeled approach shine on the mound.
“He doesn’t shy away from his stuff and throwing strikes,” catcher Carson Kelly told the Tribune. “No matter what the lineup is that he’s facing that day, he’s like, if you’re going to beat me, you’re going to get beat on my best stuff, and that’s attacking the zone, trusting his breaking balls and his changeup. He continues to want to get better.
“He’s going to pitch for a very long time, and the start like that in Houston, it’s going to happen again. But his awareness and the self-evaluation is excellent.”
Originally Published: August 13, 2025 at 10:25 PM CDT