07-17-2022, 08:38 PM
Horton, who ranked 52nd in our draft rankings in the fall, had a breakout sophomore campaign (he's age-eligible) after returning from Tommy John, and he is arguably the best college pitcher in a draft that dealt with an unusual rate of attrition among that demographic. His slider took an especially huge leap and has become a plus offering in the mid-to-upper-80s, featuring two-plane wipe. Horton will also use a low-80s curveball with more vertical shape to both get ahead of hitters and finish them off. He also has nascent feel for changeup location, not often imparting bat-missing movement on the cambio but locating it in the right area. Considering how few reps Horton has had, that pitch (all his pitches, really) has an extra bit of projection. He very comfortably has the repertoire depth and command to start, it's just that he's only thrown 53 total innings in college and there is rightfully less confidence in Horton's durability than there would be had he been healthy and pitched two entire seasons looking like this. That risk is counterbalanced by the possibility that he's just scratching the surface in literally every other area.