Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton has only made two starts in his minor league career, but the 2022 first round pick is already showing that he is ready to move up in the Cubs farm system.

The 21-year-old righty did not pitch last year after the Cubs picked him with the seventh overall pick in the MLB Draft and was assigned to Single-A Myrtle Beach to begin the 2023 season. Horton has only pitched 6.2 innings for the Pelicans, but it is already obvious that he is too good for this level.

On Wednesday night, Horton pitched four shutout innings, holding his opponent to no hits, while striking out seven batters. The lone negative was Horton walking three hitters, but he made it look easy to work out of the little trouble he got into.

I found it interesting that Cubs prospects writer Bryan Smith mentioned how Horton wasn’t necessarily great in this start because a lot of pitches were left over the middle of the plate and his best pitch, the slider, didn’t have the same sharp movement you expect from Horton.

But I guess that further proves the point that Horton is not really getting a challenge at Single-A. Horton made his pro debut on April 12, when he struck out five, walked none and allowed only two hits in 2.1 innings.

This isn’t to say that the Cubs were wrong to start Horton at the lowest level in the minors because it’s not like Horton had much experience pitching in college anyway. Horton only threw 53.2 innings in his one season playing at Oklahoma in 2022, after missing time following Tommy John surgery.

I think Horton will make one more start for the Pelicans and then we’ll see him up with the South Bend Cubs in the first week of May.

Daniel Palencia Leaves Game

Last year was Daniel Palencia’s second season pitching in the minor leagues and after only pitching at advanced A-Ball, the Cubs considered calling up the 22-year-old righty if they were in a competitive spot last September.

That’s how much Palencia impressed the Cubs in 2022, and he was definitely one of the many pitching prospects that was generating a lot of hype heading into the 2023 minor league season. The Cubs acquired him from the Oakland A’s back in 2021, in the Andrew Chafin trade, and in 2022, Palencia struck out 98 batters in 75.1 innings.

Palencia was filthy with the South Bend Cubs.

And that’s why it really sucked to see that Palencia was taken out with an apparent injury during Wednesday night’s Tennessee Smokies game in Double-A. The right-handed starting pitcher was pulled after the team trainer came out to see him following this pitch.

You hate to speculate, but it’s obviously worrying to see a pitcher leave a game after he looks like he was in pain. Hopefully it is nothing major for Palencia, who has some of the best stuff in the Cubs minor league system.