Jed Hoyer and the Cubs are heading into a pivotal offseason. After 4 straight years without a trip to the playoffs, Hoyer and Co. are looking to build a roster that can get the franchise back into October. As they work to enhance this group, we are analyzing the Top 10 building blocks already on the Cubs roster. Next up: Cade Horton.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a curveball (pun intended) to finish off this list.

Cade Horton has yet to throw a pitch in the big leagues and, in fact, he has only thrown 325 total pitches above the Double-A level in the minors.

But the 23-year-old righty has tantalizing potential and strong, young pitching remains the most important building block for any MLB franchise.

The price of quality starting pitching on the open market is astronomical so if Horton can emerge as an in-house rotation option in 2025, it would set the Cubs up nicely for building the rest of their roster heading into 2026 and beyond.

That will hold even more weight if Horton reaches his potential and stays healthy. Before he went down with a shoulder injury in late-May, Horton was seen by some as potentially the top right-handed pitching prospect in baseball.

[MORE: Are the Cubs set up to be a playoff team in 2025?]

After the Cubs selected Horton with the 7th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, he didn’t pitch in pro ball that year since he was already coming off Tommy John surgery during his time at Oklahoma.

In 2023, Horton made 21 starts across 3 levels (topping out at Double-A) with a 4-4 record, 2.65 ERA, 0.996 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.

He began last year with a flourish, posting a 1.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in 4 outings at Double-A Tennessee.

It became clear that he needed a new challenge and the Cubs responded with a promotion to Triple-A, anxious to see how he would respond to stronger competition. He did have his fair share of struggles (7.50 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) but still missed bats at an elite rate (11 K/9) and cut down on his walks as time went on (only 3 free passes over his final 11 innings).

“He needed the next challenge and I think that he’s found it more challenging there [in Triple-A],” Jed Hoyer said back in May. “Now it’s about how he responds to Triple-A hitters but he knows exactly what we want him to work on. … He’s got a really bright future.”

Had Horton stayed healthy, it’s very possible he would have found his way to Chicago at some point in 2024 — whether as a reliever or in the rotation.

[WATCH: Do the Cubs have enough rotation depth for 2025?]

Despite the injury and subsequent setback, the Cubs are expecting Horton to be ready for next year.

“Feel confident that he’ll be ready to rock and roll come Spring Training and certainly will be part of our plans for next year,” Cubs GM Carter Hawkins said in August.

There are legitimate questions around Horton’s future — can he find success in the big leagues? Will he be a top-of-the-rotation starter? Can he stay healthy?

2025 will be important to answer all of those.

Horton will undoubtedly have an innings limit in 2025 (will it be 100 innings or even 80?) but this ranking is about more than just next year.

Horton is under team control through at least the 2030 season and will be a cost effective rotation option during that time if he can stay healthy and hit on his big-time potential.

Top 10 Cubs building blocks

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong
2. Justin Steele
3. Shota Imanaga
4. Dansby Swanson
5. Seiya Suzuki
6. Ian Happ
7. Michael Busch
8. Isaac Paredes
9. Ben Brown
10. Cade Horton
Honorable mentions: Nov. 4