Cubs' Cade Horton Tabbed for First Career MLB Start Against White Sox

Friday will be a big day for Chicago Cubs rookie Cade Horton. Not only will he be making his first major league start, but it will also be his first career game at Wrigley Field.

Horton, the Cubs’ top pitching prospect (and No. 2 prospect overall behind Matt Shaw) according to MLB Pipeline, made his MLB debut on May 10 against the New York Mets. He came out of the bullpen and logged four innings in Chicago’s 6-5 win, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks while striking out five.

Now, the 23-year-old righty will make his first career start on Friday afternoon in the Cubs’ series opener against the crosstown Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have the second-worst record in baseball this year at 14-30, which is better than only the Colorado Rockies (7-36).

The White Sox head to Wrigley Field with some momentum, having gone 4-2 over their last six games and winning back-to-back series for the first time this season. Still, they’re just 5-18 on the road with a minus-34 run differential.

Chicago has scored the third-fewest runs in MLB (149), making them a relatively favorable matchup for Horton. He’ll face their top arm in rookie Shane Smith, who’s 1-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through eight starts.

May 10, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the second inning at Citi Field.Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

As a result, Horton may not receive much run support early on, with the NL Central leaders averaging just 3.1 runs over their last seven games amid a recent offensive slump.

Even so, the former first-round pick will aim to leave a strong impression in front of the home crowd.

Horton will be followed in the Cubs’ rotation by Matthew Boyd on Saturday and Colin Rea on Sunday.

Cubs’ Cade Horton Tabbed for First Career MLB Start Against White Sox

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