RHP/SS Cade Horton, Norman HS [OK]
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DoB: 8/20/2001. B/T: R/R
Commitment: Oklahoma.
Few players in this year's draft class have more options ahead of them than Cade Horton. A standout two-way player, he's a pro prospect as both a hitter and a pitcher, drawing significant interest for both his bat and his arm. As a high schooler, he also has the option to spurn going pro and head across town to the University of Oklahoma, where he'll not only get the chance to play both ways on the Sooners baseball team, but try out for quarterback as well. The last time a pro baseball prospect got to go play quarterback at Oklahoma, Kyler Murray was drafted ninth overall by the Oakland A's and first overall by the Arizona Cardinals, though Horton isn't quite in that prospect tier.
Personally, I prefer Horton a little bit as a pitcher. His power right arm, which landed him the chance to play quarterback for that powerhouse Oklahoma Sooner program, can pump fastballs into the mid 90's and typically sits in the low 90's. He brings a good slider with solid spin and two-plane break, which could be a very good pitch if he adds some power to it. There's also a changeup there, one which can look good at its best. His command is about where it should be for a player his age, and with a durable 6'2" frame, he has what it takes to start. However, probably owing to his split focus between hitting, pitching, and quarterbacking, he isn't the most consistent on the mound, and his velocity in particular has a tendency to dip a bit as he wears out.
As a hitter, he's power over hit, generating above average raw power from the right side. However, his bat path isn't the most efficient in somewhat of a long to it, short through it fashion. That can have a two-fold effect in limiting his power during games as well as causing swing and miss issues, so he'd need to have some significant mechanical cleanup to succeed as a hitter in pro ball. With his natural athleticism and the quickness in his hands, he does have pretty good upside there. That offensive upside looks better when you pair it with his defense, with the chance to stick at shortstop despite average speed. Moving to third base would put more pressure on his bat, but his offensive upside does profile well there if he can reach it.
Regardless of whether Horton ends up a hitter or a pitcher down the road (assuming he does not end up a quarterback), focusing on one thing should do wonders for him. The natural athleticism is clearly there and he has quite a few building blocks on both sides of the ball, perhaps a few more on the mound, though he's clearly raw in his all-around game. Horton is also a little old for the class with an August birthday, which can tend to matter in the eyes of evaluators. He'll probably be a very tough sign, so projecting his draft position is probably useless. He has the talent to go as high as the second round, though a high asking price could either push him lower in the draft or, more likely, out of the draft entirely. Three years of refinement at Oklahoma could do him wonders and he could follow another two-way Oklahoma prep prospect and current Sooner Cade Cavalli to first round discussions three years from now. Or he could follow Kyler Murray to the NFL, but that one requires a bit more optimism because he isn't quite the football prospect Murray was in high school.
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