Cubs Rookie Phenomenon Cade Horton Makes MLB History with 28-Inning Scoreless Streak and 8-K Gem

Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander Cade Horton continued his meteoric rise Wednesday night in Toronto, spinning five no-hit innings and fanning eight as the Cubs beat the Blue Jays 4-1, stretching the 23-year-old’s scoreless-innings streak to 28 ⅓ before a sixth-inning single finally blemished the line. The outing reinforced why Chicago’s front office promoted the 2022 first-round pick from Triple-A Iowa earlier this month despite an already crowded rotation. Horton’s dominance has been equal parts power and polish. His four-seam fastball sat 96-98 mph against Toronto, pairing with a wipeout slider that generated 10 whiffs on 15 swings. What’s new is a firm changeup he resurrected from his University of Oklahoma days, giving hitters a third velocity band to consider. Manager Craig Counsell said postgame that the rookie “looks fearless and attacks every count,” noting Horton has walked just four batters during the streak. The Cubs have craved swing-and-miss stuff since Marcus Stroman departed last winter, and Horton has delivered: 38 strikeouts in his first 25 ⅔ big-league innings translate to a 13.3 K/9 rate that leads all MLB starters with at least four appearances. Equally eye-opening is the ground-ball percentage north of 50 percent, the by-product of locating a late-sinking two-seamer below the knees. Horton’s ascent is even more impressive considering he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and only logged 88 ⅓ frames last season between High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee. Chicago managed his early-season workload at Iowa, occasionally piggybacking him behind veteran swingman Drew Smyly. Once Horton rattled off 19 scoreless innings for the I-Cubs in July, however, the organization felt he was ready for Wrigleyville lights. Now the rookie is rewriting record books. According to the Chicago Tribune, Horton’s 28 ⅓ scoreless frames are the longest by a Cubs pitcher to start a career since 1919, eclipsing Mark Prior’s 2002 mark of 24 ⅔. He also joins Nolan Ryan and Fernando Valenzuela as the only pitchers to open an MLB career with back-to-back outings of five or more no-hit innings on the road. What’s driving the buzz beyond box scores is Horton’s makeup. Scouts long praised his two-sport athleticism—he was Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for two games in 2020—yet insiders say the intangible leap came this spring when he added a regimented breath routine between pitches and embraced analytics to refine tunneling. “The heater and slider now finish on the same lane, and hitters can’t decipher until it’s too late,” said Cubs director of pitching Craig Breslow in a radio hit with 670 The Score. Fantasy managers have noticed as well: Horton’s rostered percentage on major platforms rocketed from three percent to 78 percent in the past week, and streaming-pitching columns tout him as a must-add before his next scheduled start Monday at Citi Field against the Mets’ left-heavy lineup. Looking ahead, the Cubs have a decision: stick with a six-man rotation to preserve Horton’s innings or ride his hot hand in a tightly packed NL Central race. Counsell hinted the club might temporarily skip Kyle Hendricks to keep Horton on regular rest, especially after the rookie tossed just 68 pitches in Toronto thanks to a strict cap. Long term, Chicago envisions Horton and fellow top prospect Jordan Wicks anchoring the staff behind ace Justin Steele. If Horton maintains anything close to his current pace, the Cubs may have found their first true home-grown strikeout artist since Kerry Wood. For now, fans are simply enjoying the show—chants of “Hor-ton! Hor-ton!” echoed through Rogers Centre as Cubs supporters made their presence felt on the road. Should Horton extend the streak in New York, expect national spotlight segments and a potential NL Rookie of the Month award to follow. Key takeaway for searchers: Cade Horton is carving his name into MLB history with a record scoreless run, a blazing fastball-slider combo, and the poise of a seasoned veteran—exactly what the playoff-aspiring Chicago Cubs need in 2025.