The Rundown: Horton Outduels Skenes, Cubs on Precipice of Playoff Berth, Raleigh Breaks Mantle’s Record

“Boyhood memories seem like yesterday.” – Old Days by Chicago

The Cubs have an early game today, so this is going to be a quick one. They will clinch their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first during a full regular season since 2018 if they beat the Pirates today. Cade Horton bested Paul Skenes on Tuesday, and the Chicago hurler looks like a cinch to win this year’s NL Rookie of the Year Award. The emerging ace may even tally a few votes for the Cy Young.

Horton is drawing comparisons to Jake Arrieta and Bob Gibson, of all people, and rightfully so. He’s 11-4 on the season with a 2.66 ERA, and he’s the only MLB pitcher besides Gibson to have eight or more wins with six or fewer earned runs allowed over an 11-game span. The caveat, of course, is that the Cardinals Hall of Famer probably completed each of those starts, while Horton usually goes 5-6 innings. Still, it’s an impressive and historic run by the rookie.

Clinching in Pittsburgh today will bring back some fond memories for us old-timers, too. The 1984 Cubs clinched at Three Rivers Stadium, and I can still hear the call by Harry Caray in my head. Though the 2025 Cubs have put us through some confounding stretches, this team is a similar mix of strong pitching and timely hitting. I’ll take a rotation that includes Horton, Shōta Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd over Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Trout, and Dennis Eckersley. If the rest of the National League holds serve, the Cubs will finally get their rematch with the Padres, sans Leon Durham and Steve Fucking Garvey, of course.

The Cubs are going to the 2025 playoffs barring a historical collapse. Sit back and enjoy the ride, you’ve earned it.

Cubs News & Notes

• This is the coaching staff’s message ($) to Pete Crow-Armstrong: “You’re going to be a complete animal in the playoffs.”
• PCA is on the precipice of his first 30/30 season.
• Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner are expected to win Gold Glove awards this season. Either could win the esteemed Platinum Glove award.
• Hoerner also has an opportunity to win the NL batting title this year.
• Horton got the best of Skenes last night, but that’s going to be a fun duel to watch going forward.
• The rookie is building a strong case to start Game 1 of the Wild Card round.
• The Cubs have fared better against Skenes than any other team. They became the first team to score multiple first-inning runs against the ace in last night’s win.
• Jim Bowden is still picking Braves catcher Drake Baldwin to barely beat Horton for ROY honors ($). I’d put my money on Horton.
• Michael Soroka is back with the Cubs, and I’m predicting he’s going to be Chicago’s October bullpen x-factor.
• During his rehab stint, Soroka regained the velocity he lost on his fastball before being injured.
• Kyle Tucker is still out, and he’s taking an unorthodox approach to accelerate his recovery.
• Tucker is Chicago’s nominee for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award.
• Carter Hawkins did not make the list of finalists for the open GM job with the Nationals.
• Dan Kantrovitz turned down an opportunity to interview for the Orioles’ GM vacancy.

Ball Four

I love a good NASA quote when the mood strikes me. Thank you, Charles “Pete” Conrad, and thank you, Michael Busch.

"Eureka, Houston, the Earth is really round!" https://t.co/pOTFKQQYY1

— michael canter ✨ (@MEdwardCanter) September 16, 2025

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee (92-59): What in the name of Bob Uecker is Pat Murphy doing? The Brewers manager read a “letter in the spirit of Uecker” to the team after it clinched a playoff berth. You ca decide if it was touching or awkward, but It’s actually a little of both. I’ll stand by my opinion that Murph is an odd mix of former Cubs managers Joe Maddon, Don Zimmer, and Charlie Grimm.
• Chicago (87-64): Despite a magic number that had been pared to two, the Cubs couldn’t clinch last night because of baseball’s tiebreaker rules. It’s better to win to get in than to back in, anyway. I hope I didn’t just curse this afternoon’s game. Chicago’s magic number is seven to earn home field advantage in the Wild Card round.
• Cincinnati (75-76): The Reds are one of four teams in contention for a Wild Card berth that nobody seems to want.
• St. Louis (74-78): The Cardinals will explore trades for Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado but a solid chance remains that all three could return in 2026.
• Pittsburgh (65-87): Skenes won’t pitch in Pittsburgh again until next season. Manager Don Kelly said it’s unlikely he would start his ace against the A’s in the last game of the season.

Wild Pitch

“No sweeping exits or offstage lines could make me feel bitter.” – Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones

• San Diego (82-69): Though the Padres acquired closer Mason Miller at the deadline, the Athletics’ bullpen has been significantly better since.
• New York (78-73): The Mets have kept the passing lane open ($) in the Wild Card race for the better part of a month, but nobody wants to take it.
• Arizona (77-75): The Diamondbacks have won four straight and are just 1.5 games behind the Mets.
• San Francisco (75-76): The Giants are struggling since an epic walk-off win Friday night, but they’re still within striking distance of New York.

How About That!

Shohei Ohtani is willing to move to the outfield to stay in the lineup during the playoffs if he is used as a reliever and subsequently pulled.

Cal Raleigh surpassed Mickey Mantle for the most home runs in one season by a switch-hitter.

Bo Bichette will be this winter’s most intriguing free agent. That’s baseball-speak for a likely future with the Dodgers.

The Mariners are this year’s sleeper pick to win the World Series.

Extra Innings

Horton is good at baseball. See what I did there?

Cade Horton's 5th and 6th Ks…thru 5 pic.twitter.com/I4UMpgBtJr

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 17, 2025

Apropos of Nothing

My extended weekend in Nashville was fantastic, and I’m hoping Music City is approved for expansion. It’d be nice if Rob Manfred will put the Nashville team in the same division as the Cubs if so. That’d make for a fun, annual road trip.

They Said It

• “It’s all a wash – every game that I’m frustrated about, every game that I’m really happy about in the regular season. Every game means so much, that’s how I decide to approach this sport. But having been here the whole year, and seeing our team’s trajectory and being so confident in our situation, yeah, I’m excited for playoff baseball, when the room for error is minimal and every out does really count. Absolutely, I’m ready to go compete, and keep this shit going.” – Crow-Armstrong

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

As a Cubs fan, September 17 sure feels a helluva lot better than August 17 if I’m being forthright.