Cade Horton focused on the process as he looks to repeat brilliant rookie season

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Craig Counsell likes to give honest assessments of his team and players. So when he hears expectations for players he feels are a little outlandish, he won’t just nod along.

That was the case recently with Cade Horton. Counsell has been effusive in his praise of Horton and the rookie season he had last summer. The young righty finished off a runner-up Rookie of the Year campaign as one of the best pitchers on the Chicago Cubs’ staff. If not for an injury, Horton surely would have been leaned on in the postseason and was starting to be viewed as a real difference-maker.

But when people ask if there’s another gear for Horton, Counsell has to hit the brakes.

“I guess I would just caution you,” Counsell said. “Cade was about as good as you’re going to see a pitcher pitch last year. Growth from that season? I don’t think you can expect more than that. If he would’ve racked up 50 more innings, that’s a Cy Young candidate.”

With just a little bad luck alone, Horton is going to have trouble matching the 2.67 ERA he put up in 118 innings last year. Tuesday afternoon against the Texas Rangers in Surprise was a good example, albeit in a spring environment. Horton allowed two bloop hits to start the game, then Corey Seager ripped a three-run shot. Horton gave up another two home runs and six runs in total in 3 2/3 innings.

For Horton, his only way forward is not to dwell on the past. That doesn’t mean don’t learn from it, but it’s less about results for him and more so about the process that led to those results.

“I think the results can lie to you sometimes,” Horton said. “That first inning is a great example of that. Probably the first two balls hit weren’t over 80 (mph). But you look at the scoresheet and you’re like, ‘Oh, he gave up two hits and a three-run shot.’ It’s not really like that. I made two really good pitches, and they dunked in. One swing later and we’re behind. That’s where it’s about focus on the process. I made good pitches so that builds confidence to move on.”

On this day, the process was about his delivery and landing his off-speed pitches.

“Sometimes I can get too fast or too slow and robotic,” Horton said. “So it’s finding that happy medium, being athletic but not rushing down the mound. I felt really good today with that.”

Horton felt his off-speed pitches were working and was largely happy with his day, despite poor results. But the results also showed him a moment he can learn from. With the count 1-1 on Josh Smith, Horton threw two non-competitive curveballs and fell behind.

“So guess what?” Horton asked. “He’s ready for the heater 3-2 because he knows those (off-speed) weren’t competitive. That was one of the only times I wasn’t able to land what I wanted. You go back to Seager’s second at-bat, landed a curveball, first-pitch out. That’s what happens when those pitches are competitive.”

Horton said when he was younger, he’d get very frustrated by the results. As he matured, he started to see things differently. According to Horton, the book “Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great,” influenced him. But experience and stability may be the most important aspect of it all.

“I feel like last year I would’ve gotten really worked up about this,” Horton said. “But this year I’m just really focused on the process. It really is all about getting ready for Opening Day. I can take a lot of good out of what I did today. Obviously the results were pretty bad. But it is what it is. Just get ready for the next one.”

Last year, Horton entered the season as an unproven prospect with zero big-league experience. Now he’s coming off a brilliant season and the expectations are heightened. But neither Horton nor his manager is treating it that way. Just go out and do the work. The results should then take care of themselves.

“I think we’re looking forward to giving him the ball and getting a full season from him,” Counsell said. “But last year was pretty remarkable. The results may not look exactly like that but he’s still going to be pretty darn good.”

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