Eli RK

Palencia should be the closer! A closer just can't throw 91 MPH, no other closer in the league does. Time for the Cubs to join modern baseball and understand that velocity and swing and miss does in fact matter. Plus, Leiter is too valuable with men on base and getting timely ground balls to be stuck in the 9th inning.

Me too. Love the athleticism, he seems to throw strikes remarkably easily. I definitely want to see the velocity where it was in his Double A starts and the vertical carry show up. 96 with spin and carry will play against any major league team, even if he doesn't figure out extension. But 93 with cut and no carry, not gonna get you to ace level.

I would assume you're correct, and that's what I'm hoping. But you have to admit the Cubs do have a tendency to do this, and I think it's really, really imperative that they allow Horton become a guy that they haven't had since Jake Arrieta. A true top-of-the-rotation arm that would be a top-of-the-rotation arm on whatever team he's on, with the velo and swing and miss to back it up. While I hope you're correct, this article certainly makes it sound like that's what they're trying to do because from every single thing I've seen and read about Cade Horton, he is certainly not naturally a Justin Steele type, save for a couple arm slot similarities and their size.

I have real concerns about this. Feels like the kind of thing the Cubs are always trying to do, they try to make everybody fit a mold of the few pitching development success stories they have. Justin Steele works because he is a unicorn - it doesn't make sense why he's so good but he is. Cade Horton is a monster - even in Double A we saw 97 with two distinct breaking balls - so why on earth would the Cubs try to mess with that? They're relying on this kid being the ace of the future, but he won't be if they mess with what works, and make a two pitch 93 MPH guy. In terms of the fastball issue, every scouting report that exists - and a few detailed write ups - talk about the great carry and spin he gets up in the zone. Extension is overrated if you have those other two things, i.e. Justin Verlander. It doesn't make sent to me why the Cubs ALWAYS do this with guys. 93 Cutter is not an ace. 96, 97 fastball with carry, spin, a wipeout slider and slower curveball he can throw for strikes very likely is. Certainly feels like the Cubs are having him sacrifice what made his fastball good in order to fit their very antiquated, weird narrative about what a 4-seam fastball is.