Cubs Have 2 Future Aces In Their Rotation
Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera emerge as aces, poised to anchor the Cubs' rotation and ignite a playoff push. Their dominant performances signal a bright future.
The Chicago Cubs ' rotation faces some question marks early in the season. Matthew Boyd struggled in his first start on Opening Day , Shota Imanaga continues to be bitten by the home run ball, and things could get complicated once Justin Steele is fully healthy to return from his elbow injury. However, it’s clear after the first few games that Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera are going to be the Cubs’ best pitchers in 2026.
These two pitchers have the potential to be aces atop Chicago’s rotation for the next few years. Horton looked solid in his first start of the year on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. He threw 6 ⅓ innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts.
He made quick work on the mound in his outing and induced nine whiffs in the game. The 24-year-old picked up right where he left off last year, when he finished with a 2. 67 ERA across 118 innings pitched.
Horton has the tools to be a really good pitcher in the big leagues, and his strong performance on Saturday signals what’s to come in Year 2. As for Cabrera, his Cubs debut couldn’t have gone any better. He drew the start against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night and threw six shutout innings with one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts.