Cade Horton’s masterful rookie season didn’t end the way the Chicago Cubs right-hander envisioned.

A fluky right rib fracture sustained from an illness during the final week of the regular season prevented Horton from pitching in the postseason . The 24-year-old would have been added to the roster for the National League Championship Series if the Cubs had bested the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series.

Instead, Horton’s reflections after the Cubs’ Game 5 NLDS loss had him already looking ahead to how he can make an impact for the Cubs in 2026.

Horton’s 2025 performance, which featured a 2.67 ERA and 144 ERA+ in 118 innings, earned him a second-place finish Monday night in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year award. Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin won the award with 1

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