Cade Horton - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 9)

Cade Horton is a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 9 (2025). Target Cade Horton as a top prospect free-agent add for fantasy baseball.

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ANALYSIS:  Clocking in at MLB's No. 35 prospect, the Cubs selected Cade Horton's contract on May 10 to start against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The 23-year-old picked up his first major league win, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out five in four innings, tossing 77 pitches (49 strikes).

Asking a rookie to make his first MLB start on the road against a first-place team is a big ask, but Horton impressed with his stuff, which included a 95-plus mph fastball, sweeper, and changeup.

Across three levels in his first year of professional ball, he posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 88 1/3 innings pitched. He began 2024 at the Double-A level, dazzling in four starts, pitching to a 1.10 ERA with 18 K in 16.1 frames of work. This led to his promotion to Triple-A, where he struggled, allowing 15 earned runs on 17 hits in 18 innings.

However, Horton was able to right the ship in 2025, posting a 1.24 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in six starts at Triple-A before his call-up to the majors.

Horton made his second career appearance on Friday against the White Sox at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs' offense again helping him earn the win. The Cubs put up 13 runs against their crosstown rivals, while Horton twirled five innings (79 pitches, 52 strikes), allowing three runs on seven hits, walking none, and striking out two.

In his most recent outing, Horton tossed five and a half innings of one-run ball against the Miami Marlins. He allowed six hits and three walks and struck out just three batters.

Cade Horton spun 5.1 innings of 1-run ball with 3 strikeouts against the Marlins.

His changeup was untouchable—122 proStuff+ with an 81.8% whiff rate—and the sweeper carved at 120. He set it all up with a 96 mph cut-ride fastball at 118 proStuff+. pic.twitter.com/aszqpZw3BR

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) May 21, 2025

His few mistakes are easily fixable, but whether he sees those results at the MLB level remains to be seen. Horton is expected to remain in the rotation until Shota Imanaga (hamstring) returns from the injured list.

- Written by Lauren Amour

Top Prospect Rankings and 2025 Call-Up ETAs

You can also check out RotoBaller's fantasy baseball prospect rankings for 2025. Eric Cross updates the below rankings weekly for the top impact prospects for 2025, and when they may be called up:

Top Prospect Dynasty Rankings

Looking for longer term fantasy baseball prospect rankings? You can also check out RotoBaller's top dynasty prospect rankings from Eric Cross:

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup?

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our fantasy baseball Who To Pickup tool for Cade Horton and others. You can also use the free Who Should I Pickup tool to run your own waiver wire comparisons, up to four players at once:

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