Cade Horton Named Rookie of the Year Finalist

[Matthew Lenz]

While the Chicago Cubs as a team didn't bring home any postseason hardware, one of their players may need to make room on their mantles for an individual award.

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWA) announced its award finalists on Monday, including Case Horton as a Rookie of the Year finalist.

Horton, who debuted on May 10th against the New York Mets at Citi Field, threw 118 innings across 23 appearances (22 starts). His 2.67 ERA was truly elite, though a still solid 3.58 FIP suggests maybe some regression in the future. He posted a lowly 13.4% with a respectable 6.9% walk rate but a low 20.4% strikeout rate. While his fastball had a Run Value of 7 in 2025, his secondary offerings were some of the most effective in baseball. Opponents batted .176, .115, and .196 against his sweeper, change up, and curve ball, respectively. Moreover, only four extra base hits were hit off of his change-up and curve - none of which were long balls.

Do you think he will win the award? Let us know in the comments!

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