Cade

Horton

Baldwin received 21 out of the 30 first-place votes, with nine going to Cade Horton, who finished in second place. Caleb Durbin finished third and Isaac Collins finished fourth in the NL ROY balloting. The 24-year-old backstop broke out as Atlanta’s primary catcher, slashing .270/.340/.470 with 19 homers and an .810 OPS across 124 games. He’s the first catcher to take home the hardware since Buster Posey back in 2010.

Horton enters as the heavy favorite after emerging as one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers in the second half, posting a dazzling 1.03 ERA across 61 1/3 innings over 12 starts. Baldwin would be a worthy choice in most years after cementing himself as Atlanta’s catcher of both the present and future during an impressive full-season debut, slugging 19 homers across 124 games. Durbin’s inclusion comes as a mild surprise over unheralded Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile, who posted an .845 OPS with 35 extra-base hits over 91 contests. Nationals center fielder Dylan Crews and Dodgers starer-turned-postseason closer Roki Sasaki entered the year as preseason favorites, but both missed most of the campaign due to injury. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 10.

Good to know. Horton was trying to make it back from a rib fracture suffered during his Sept. 23 start. The Rookie of the Year candidate might have been a difference maker in the NLDS against the Brewers. He’s a certainty for the Cubs’ 2026 rotation, which also figures to include Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga (assuming that his option is picked up) and, eventually, Justin Steele.

Horton got through yesterday’s session without pain in the area of his fractured rib, so now it’s just about getting him built back up. He hopes to pitch in the NLCS if the Cubs can advance.

Horton is aiming to be ready for a potential NLCS matchup, if Chicago manages to rally against the division-rival Brewers. The 24-year-old rookie standout has been on the shelf since suffering a right rib fracture during his final regular-season start.

Horton would provide a substantial lift to Chicago’s rotation, if they managed to rally and advance past the division-rival Brewers into the NLCS. The 24-year-old rookie sensation suffered a right rib fracture during his final regular-season start and has been shut down ever since. It sounds like there’s a chance he’ll be able to contribute later this postseason, if the Cubs stay alive.

It’s a stunning turn of events, as Horton will now miss the entire Wild Card round and won’t be eligible to return until the late stages of a potential Division Series matchup. The 24-year-old rookie sensation posted a dazzling 1.03 ERA across 61 1/3 innings over 12 second-half starts, and his absence leaves a massive hole in Chicago’s postseason rotation. A clearer return timeline should emerge in the coming days.

Counsell told reporters Friday that they’re comfortable moving forward with Horton into the postseason after an MRI earlier this week didn’t reveal any structural damage. The 24-year-old rookie sensation has been diagnosed with rib tightness and is expected to be ready to pitch at some point next week when the playoffs get underway. He resumed throwing on Friday and should be cleared for a postseason start following this weekend’s throwing session.

Counsell noted that Horton’s MRI did show some “areas of concern”, but nothing severe enough that it would lead to an extended absence. It sounds like the Cubs are optimistic about their prized rookie right-hander’s availability for the start of the postseason.

Counsell told reporters Horton has also been dealing with an illness the past few days after the rookie standout was lifted for precautionary reasons from Tuesday’s outing after just 29 pitches when his back started tightening up. The 24-year-old former top prospect, who has put together a phenomenal second half with a microscopic 1.03 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break, will undergo additional imaging to rule out any structural damage. The hope for the Cubs is that he’ll be cleared for the start of the postseason.