Cubs Star Prospect Leads Minors Team to First Title in 45 Years

The Chicago Cubs have had one of the top minor league pipelines for the past couple years, acquiring promising talent from other teams in the MLB during past trade deadlines.

They've also been able to draft well and put their homegrown players through their pipeline to get them Major League ready.

One of the Cubs' star prospects played a huge role in helping the Double-A affiliate Tennessee Smokies win their first title in 45 years.

Their No. 2 prospect Cade Horton was on the mound for the deciding game. He allowed only one run on one hit and struck out four batters.

Smokies' manager Kevin Graber was confident with the young star on the mound.

"I ain't gonna lie. When I woke up this morning knowing that Cade Horton was on the mound, I was like, 'I think it's going to be a good day,'" he said.

It's the first outright title of the affiliate since 1978 when they were called the Knoxville Sox.

This performance put an exclamation mark on his incredible first professional season that saw him play across three different levels starting with Single-A and closing at Double-A.

He finished his season with a 4-4 record and ERA of 2.65. In 88 1/3 innings pitched he struck out 117 batters.

Horton also had a 2-0 record with a 0.90 ERA during the Double-A postseason.

The right hander was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and has made a quick ascension through their minor league pipeline.

He's the No. 29 ranked prospect in all of the minors according to MLB.com. The talented 22-year-old is projected to make his Major League debut at some time during the 2025 season.

There's a chance that he could be called-up earlier. Chicago used two of their rookies this season based on injuries and need.

That could be the case for Horton next season if he continues to shine.