Cubs’ Cade Horton Reflects on Football Past While Excelling on the Mound

CHICAGO, Ill. — Cade Horton, a rookie pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, enters Saturday night’s game against the Anaheim Angels with impressive stats: a 7-4 record, 70 strikeouts, a 3.08 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP in 87⅔ innings this season.

Before his rise in baseball, Horton was a star quarterback at Norman High School in Oklahoma, where he authored an impressive career that included over 3,000 passing yards and 41 touchdowns during his senior year. “I definitely love football season,” Horton said at Wrigley Field this week. “It’s the best time of the year. I’m just excited to watch college football come back on and the NFL get started.”

Rocky Martin, Horton’s high school coach, praised him for his dual-threat capability on the field. “He had the mentality of a linebacker,” Martin stated, emphasizing Horton’s physical and mental toughness. “He was dangerous both as a passer and a runner.”

Despite excelling at both football and baseball, Horton chose to focus on baseball after starting college. He initially attended Oklahoma with hopes of playing both sports but withdrew from the football team early. “I decided to leave the team after the first game,” he recalled. “I was just in a spot where I was not really getting many reps.”

Horton underwent Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for significant time, but his performance at the College World Series later caught the attention of MLB scouts. “At some point, the game will choose you,” Horton said about his decision to embrace baseball as his primary focus.

The Cubs are pleased with his choice, as Horton continues to demonstrate outstanding talent on the mound.