Cubs broadcaster singles out 2 pitchers he thinks could be the team's ace in 2026

The Chicago Cubs entered spring training with some of the best starting pitching depth in all of baseball, rolling eight arms deep, albeit not without questions surrounding some of those arms.

Last summer, fans were clamoring for a top-of-the-rotation arm to slot in alongside the likes of All-Star Matthew Boyd, stalwart veteran Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga. Rookie Cade Horton broke out and pitched like a Cy Young candidate down the stretch, but an injury cut his season short and sidelined him for the playoffs, leaving many to wonder 'what if' when it came to the team's quiet deadline.

This winter, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer brought Imanaga back into the fold via the qualifying offer and swung an aggressive trade for Edward Cabrera that sent top prospect Owen Caissie to Miami. The million-dollar question is whether or not the hard-throwing right-hander can stay healthy - because if he can, that move could end up being one of the most impactful of the winter.

Cubs TV color commentator and former big league pitcher Jim Deshaies offered his take on which arms in this mix could emerge as the ace of the staff and, unsurprisingly, Cabrera's name was among them.

Jim Deshaies loves what Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton have to offer

Deshaies called out Cabrera's stuff - which, regardless of the questions everyone has about his health, is irrefutable. The second name he mentioned hardly came as a shock, either, with Horton earning high praise from the former 12-year MLB veteran.

Horton's second half was on-par with Jake Arrieta's dominant run with the team during the peak years of his career, so it stands to reason expectations are high for the 24-year-old heading into 2026. A full season of dominance from Horton (not to mention Cabrera's contributions and the first-half return of Justin Steele) would give manager Craig Counsell all kinds of options with his pitching staff heading into October.

It's also worth pointing out that, even if both guys live up to the billing, injuries happen - and it's the depth Hoyer has assembled behind his two big arms that could be the difference between winning a division title and making a deep playoff run and sneaking in only to fall short of the ultimate goal.