Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:
1. Horton to debut:
The Cubs are calling up top pitching prospect Cade Horton this weekend. The 23-year-old was the club’s first-round pick in the 2022 draft and was a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport ahead of the 2024 campaign. He slid down prospect rankings a bit after an injury-marred season last year, but through six starts in 2025 he’s bounced back to peak performance levels. Horton has posted a sparkling 1.24 ERA in 29 innings of work across six starts at Triple-A, and he’s done so while striking out an impressive 30.6% of opponents. Now, he’ll get his first big league opportunity against the Mets and right-hander Tylor Megill (2.50 ERA in seven starts) on Saturday.
2. Quintana to reach milestone:
The Brewers are in Tampa this weekend for a series against the Rays, and tonight’s game will pit veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (2.83 ERA in five starts) against Rays righty Zack Littell (4.61 ERA in seven starts). Quintana, 36, is set to reach a major milestone during today’s start. With 1,998 1/3 innings pitched in his career, the southpaw will reach 2,000 career innings during the second frame of today’s game. The outing will make him just the sixth active player to reach that milestone after Chris Sale joined Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Charlie Morton during his last start with Atlanta. Quintana will be the 450th player in MLB history to reach that mark.
3. AL Central going streaking:
The AL Central sent three teams to the postseason last year (Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City), and the beginning of the 2025 season has already raised the possibility of a repeat. Not only have the Tigers emerged as the top club in the American League with a 25-13 start that ties them with the Dodgers for baseball’s best record, but the division once again has three teams in playoff position.
That’s been spurred on by a series of win streaks all around the AL Central. Detroit has won four straight, and the second-place Guardians have won two in a row (and seven of their past ten). Even more impressive are the ongoing streaks in Kansas City (six games) and Minnesota (five games). These hot stretches have allowed the Royals to grab the second-most wins in the AL behind Detroit, while Minnesota has managed to mostly dig itself out of a dreadful start to the season with an 18-20 record that puts them just two games back of a Wild Card spot.
Will any of these clubs be able to keep the good times rolling this weekend? All four are at home. The Tigers host a struggling Rangers club that just shook up its coaching staff. The Royals host a Red Sox series embroiled in drama regarding Rafael Devers’ position. The Twins and Guardians will each take on one of the NL’s top teams, hosting the Giants and Phillies, respectively.
