Cade Horton made his mark with milestone filled MLB debut

Cade Horton, the Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect, made his MLB debut on Saturday night against the New York Mets. The former first round pick followed opener Brad Keller and ended up with a line consisting of four innings pitched, four hits, five strikeouts, and three earned runs. To make things better, the team got a win as they held on to a 6-5 victory.

Cade Horton made his mark during a milestone filled MLB debut

During his MLB debut, Horton was able to check several boxes of firsts. On a Nationally televised game, his first career strikeout came against Brandon Nimmo, the first batter he faced as Horton retired him looking on a fastball that was beautifully painted on the outside corner.

Cade Horton strikes out the first batter in his Major League debut

(via @MLBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/z2tmLseSUN

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 10, 2025

During his second inning of work, Horton started off with a strikeout, but then got into his first jam as he beaned catcher Francisco Alvarez and Tyrone Taylor reached on a catcher’s interference. He managed to escape this situation without allowing a run by getting Mets stars Francisco Lindor to fly out and Juan Soto to ground out.

In the fifth, Horton allowed his first hit of the game as Pete Alonso singled. He allowed another base knock to Mark Vientos and eventually found himself in a two out, two runners on base situation with Brett Baty up to the plate.  Baty proceeded to hit a home run off a sweeper to make it a one run game.

After being relieved of pitching duties in the sixth inning, the Cubs ended up holding onto a narrow victory against the Mets. Even though Horton was not on the bump for what could have been his first career start, he was credited with the win.

Traffic, atmosphere, and family

When asked about the memorable day, there were three specific things that Horton mentioned that he would remember. First off, his bus got stuck in traffic and he showed up to the ball park an hour later than he would have liked. Secondly, he mentioned the atmosphere of Citi Field and a FOX broadcasted game. Lastly, he was grateful for his family that was able to attend.

“Just kind of surreal as parents. It’s a lifelong dream for him” @Ken_Rosenthal spoke with @Cubs top pitching prospect Cade Horton’s parents as they watched their son make his MLB debut pic.twitter.com/ioMhUV1oCh

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 11, 2025

Horton’s MLB debut may not have been flawless, but it was a solid first step for the Cubs’ top pitching prospect. Flashing his strikeout stuff, that included an unexpected changeup to Juan Soto, and showing his poise on the mound, Horton showed a glimpse of his potential. As he settled into the big-league level, the hope is that this year he can fill the void left by several injuries to starting pitchers, including Javier Assad, Justin Steele, and Shota Imanaga.