Cade Cavalli

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #7 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme.
  
  Track Record: The Nationals have not seen much of their 2020 first-round pick. Cavalli made his pro debut in 2021 and dazzled, leading the minor leagues in strikeouts. The Oklahoma alum worked quickly through the minor leagues, spending the 2022 season at Triple-A before making his MLB debut on Aug. 26. After one outing, he was shut down with right shoulder inflammation. Cavalli was a strong candidate to earn a spot on the Nationals’ 2023 Opening Day roster before injuries plagued him once again. He left his third spring training start and was diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. He had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2023 season. Expected to return in June 2024, which would have been 15 months after the surgery, Cavalli struggled with setbacks. Following a rehab start in June, he missed time with the flu and began experiencing dead arm.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Cavalli has one of the top fastballs in the Nationals’ organization. The pitch was touching triple-digits prior to surgery but sat closer to 96 mph in his brief work in 2024. Cavalli’s mid-80s curveball is a plus to near plus-plus pitch as well. His changeup and slider are works in progress, with the latter being closer to MLB ready. Cavalli has shown average control when healthy.
  
  The Future: Cavalli looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball in 2022, but he’s missed nearly all of two seasons since. Staying healthy has been his biggest challenge. Cavalli threw his first bullpen session in early September and began an offseason throwing program. He will fight for a spot in the Nationals’ rotation in spring training. If his control wavers or his repertoire is too limited to start, Cavalli could fit as a power reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 65 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: The Nationals drafted Cavalli 22nd overall in the five-round 2020 draft. Making his pro debut in 2021, he led the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts. He spent the first five months of 2022 at Triple-A Rochester and made his MLB debut on Aug. 26. He struck out six in 4.1 innings but was shut down after that lone start with right shoulder inflammation. Cavalli returned in 2023 ready to earn a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but during his third spring training appearance he left the game after feeling something behind his elbow. An MRI showed a Grade 3 sprain of his UCL and required Tommy John surgery. Cavalli missed the entire 2023 season.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli’s fastball is one of the best in the Nationals’ system. His four-seamer tops out at 99-100 mph but sits closer to 96. His go-to breaking pitch is a mid-80s curveball that has a harsh downward break. His above-average slider adds to his repertoire, but he relies much more on the curve to get outs. Cavalli’s changeup has been a work in progress. The Nationals wanted him to refine the pitch before making his MLB debut, and he saw improvements, especially when facing lefthanded hitters. Cavalli struggled with command for most of 2022, though he was trending in the right direction before the injury.
  
  The Future: Washington believes that Cavalli is a future piece of its rotation and expects him to play a large role during the back half of the 2024 season. He has no definitive return date, but the organization is targeting June, about 15 months after surgery. Cavalli checked off an important milestone when he played catch in September 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #4 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: After leading the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts in 2021 while reaching Triple-A in his pro debut, it seemed like Cavalli was almost MLB ready. The Nationals wanted their 2020 first-round pick to work on his changeup before he made his debut. Cavalli spent nearly the entire 2022 season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on Aug. 26. Despite being knocked around by the Reds, he showed flashes of promise. His secondary pitches looked much better and his fastball was exactly as advertised. Cavalli made one start before being shut down with shoulder inflammation. He is expected to be ready to go for spring training.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli has a four-pitch mix headlined by a four-seam fastball that averages 96 mph and tops out at 99-100 mph. Velocity has never been a question for the physical righthander, but his fastball has played down dating back to college because of a lack of deception or standout movement or spin. In 2022, Cavalli began relying more on his promising secondaries. His go-to breaking ball is a hard, mid-80s hammer curveball with 12-to-6 shape. He throws the pitch for strikes less frequently than a firm, upper-80s slider, but the curveball is the better swing-and-miss pitch. Both breaking pitches flash plus. Cavalli worked hard to improve a firm, upper-80s changeup, and his ability to consistently command that pitch could help keep hitters off his fastball. Cavalli can be a solid strike-thrower, but he'll need to find a solid balance of aggression and precision with how he attacks the strike zone.
  
  The Future: The Nationals will rely on Cavalli to join a rebuilding rotation. If he can get outs in the zone, the organization can say that one piece of the rebuilding puzzle is in place.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #2 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: As a 2020 draftee, Cavalli’s minor league debut was delayed to 2021, though he did impress at the Nationals’ alternate training site in 2020 after being drafted 22nd overall out of Oklahoma. Once on the field this year, the righthander wasted no time making a statement, soaring from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the season. Importantly, after battling injuries in college, Cavalli stayed healthy all season and showed his ability to handle a heavy workload. He led the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli’s stuff is electric. Over the summer, rival managers in Double-A Northeast voted his the best fastball and breaking ball in the league. His fastball sits 95-97 mph and has touched as high as 100 using an easy, yet powerful delivery. He throws two distinct breaking balls, a power curveball and a slider that is cutterish at times. The latter is used effectively to get off hitters’ barrels. He gets good sink on his changeup, but evaluators are less enthused about that offering. He has a sinker in his arsenal, but it’s a distant fifth pitch. Don’t be fooled by his big frame, either. Cavalli is a plus athlete who fields his position well. He struggled a bit in his short time at Triple-A, but the organization is working with him to get outs in the zone more often, a necessity against mature hitters.
  
  The Future: The Nationals couldn’t have asked for much more out of Cavalli in 2021, and he looks the part of a middle of the rotation starter whose arrival will come sooner rather than later.
  
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #1 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 55. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: After two seasons in a two-way role for Oklahoma, Cavalli focused on pitching as a junior in 2020. He quickly asserted himself as a first-round talent in a deep class of college pitchers. The former USA Baseball Collegiate National Team member already was a known commodity to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and the entire scouting community. Washington took him 22nd overall and signed him for $3.027 million. Cavalli fit right into a spot in the club’s 60-man player pool and impressed the big leaguers with his performance in a simulated game at Nationals Park before the start of the delayed major league season. Cavalli had back issues in high school and a stress reaction in his arm in college, but he was healthy all summer while adjusting to pitching every sixth day instead of once a week. One of his off-the-field interests has helped him get to know teammates better. He estimates he has given more than 500 haircuts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cavalli accurately described himself on draft night as a blend of power and pitchability. His fastball sits in the mid 90s with ease and touches 98 mph. More than just a thrower, he complements his heater with an array of impressive secondaries. His slider is a devastating offering at 87-90 mph with impressive tilt and gets swings and misses against both lefties and righties. His curveball is a hard downer that hitters don’t see well, and he can manipulate his changeup to throw it with diving action and either sink or run. He has an efficient delivery and elite makeup. As a former Big 12 Conference first baseman, he has plenty of athleticism and good body control. Cavalli’s father Brian was a catcher at Oklahoma and in the Angels’ system, so Cade has also seen the game from the other side of the battery. The reason he was still available at No. 22 overall is he got hit more in college than his raw stuff would suggest, in part because he lacks deception and his control can be erratic. The Nationals like the work Cavalli did with coach Skip Johnson and the rest of the Sooners staff, so any tweaks they’ve made have been minor. Cavalli has a strong work ethic and a desire to not just make the majors but to become a regular all-star.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cavalli logged more than 50 innings combined between the alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va., and instructional league in Florida, so he should be ready to go in 2021. Health and control will dictate how fast he moves through the system.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #22 prospect in 2020 draft
  If you were creating the blueprint for an ideal pitcher’s body, Cavalli might look like the end product. A towering, 6-foot-4, 218-pound righthander who looks like an All-American quarterback, Cavalli on paper has everything you want in a frontline pitcher. He can dial his fastball up to 98 mph and sits in the mid-90s with ease. He complements it with a devastating 87-90 mph slider with impressive lateral movement that serves as an out-pitch against both lefties and righties. He also has a curveball and a changeup that are solid-average with growth potential. Cavalli throws everything out of a picturesque arm action and delivery. However, hitters tend to square up Cavalli's fastball more than his velocity would suggest, partially because his delivery is so clean it lacks deception. His fastball plays down at least a grade below its velocity and perhaps more, and he has a history of erratic control that makes it difficult to work to his secondary offerings. Additionally, Cavalli has a troubling injury history going back to his high school days. He rarely pitched during his senior year because of lingering back issues and also missed time in 2019 due to a stress reaction in his arm. While Cavalli has first-round pure stuff, big upside and one of the better bodies in the 2020 class, he could fall into the second round because of concerns about how that stuff plays, the quality of his strikes and questions about durability.
• Ranked #295 prospect in 2017 draft
  Cavalli is one of the wild cards of the 2017 prep class. He barely pitched because of back problems that sidelined him for most of the year. But in the Oklahoma state playoffs his fastball worked at 92-94 mph and touched 95 and he showed a loopy curveball, fringy slider and solid control. It's hard to get a good feel on a pitcher who has barely thrown, but on pure stuff he's a rare talent.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #1 prospect in 2021
  Cavalli wasn’t in High-A for long, but he certainly made his presence felt over his seven starts at the level, striking out 71 and walking 12 over 40.2 innings. to go with a 1.77 ERA. He was voted the High-A East’s top pitching prospect by league managers. The 2020 first-rounder from Oklahoma had perhaps the best pro debut of any player in his draft class. He showed off a high-octane fastball that comfortably sat in the upper 90s and touched triple-digits to go with a plus upper-80s slider and a pair of above-average secondaries in his curveball and changeup. Cavalli earned rave reviews for the polish he showed at the level, with one evaluator noting he wouldn’t look out of place in the big leagues right now, and he had no trouble throwing strikes consistently—a concern coming out of college. “His last outing against us was right before he went up to Double-A . . . That day he was 97-100 (mph) and throwing breaking balls for strikes whenever he wanted,” Jersey Shore manager Chris Adamson said. “That was super impressive to see.” Cavalli has all the ingredients needed to be a frontline starter and could sit atop the Nationals’ rotation by the start of the 2023 season.
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #6 prospect in 2021
  Cavalli lived up to his reputation as a power pitcher as he tore through Double-A Northeast in short order after an early-season promotion from High-A Wilmington. He served as one of the lone attractions on a Harrisburg team that finished 34 games under .500. Opposing managers liked Cavalli’s mix of a high-90s fastball that touches 101 mph, a curveball he uses to get hitters to chase, a changeup and a plus slider but were concerned that he can be a little erratic at times. He issued four or more walks in four of his 11 Double-A outings before a late-August promotion to Triple-A Rochester, where he struggled to replicate his success with the Senators. Several evaluators thought Cavalli might have better command working a few ticks down in his velocity range, and that he struggled most when approaching triple-digits. Most had his ceiling as a No. 1 or 2 starter if hs command progresses. “He’s the kind of guy who’s going to be a leader and dominant personality in the clubhouse,” Harrisburg manager Tripp Keister said. “He’s going to make sure things are done properly and we’re playing the game right. He’s got a great team concept. He’s a special kid. His parents have done a great job with him.”

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #61 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #27 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: After leading the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts in 2021 while reaching Triple-A in his pro debut, it seemed like Cavalli was almost MLB ready. The Nationals wanted their 2020 first-round pick to work on his changeup before he made his debut. Cavalli spent nearly the entire 2022 season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on Aug. 26. Despite being knocked around by the Reds, he showed flashes of promise. His secondary pitches looked much better and his fastball was exactly as advertised. Cavalli made one start before being shut down with shoulder inflammation. He is expected to be ready to go for spring training.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli has a four-pitch mix headlined by a four-seam fastball that averages 96 mph and tops out at 99-100 mph. Velocity has never been a question for the physical righthander, but his fastball has played down dating back to college because of a lack of deception or standout movement or spin. In 2022, Cavalli began relying more on his promising secondaries. His go-to breaking ball is a hard, mid-80s hammer curveball with 12-to-6 shape. He throws the pitch for strikes less frequently than a firm, upper-80s slider, but the curveball is the better swing-and-miss pitch. Both breaking pitches flash plus. Cavalli worked hard to improve a firm, upper-80s changeup, and his ability to consistently command that pitch could help keep hitters off his fastball. Cavalli can be a solid strike-thrower, but he'll need to find a solid balance of aggression and precision with how he attacks the strike zone.
  
  The Future: The Nationals will rely on Cavalli to join a rebuilding rotation. If he can get outs in the zone, the organization can say that one piece of the rebuilding puzzle is in place.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: After leading the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts in 2021 while reaching Triple-A in his pro debut, it seemed like Cavalli was almost MLB ready. The Nationals wanted their 2020 first-round pick to work on his changeup before he made his debut. Cavalli spent nearly the entire 2022 season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on Aug. 26. Despite being knocked around by the Reds, he showed flashes of promise. His secondary pitches looked much better and his fastball was exactly as advertised. Cavalli made one start before being shut down with shoulder inflammation. He is expected to be ready to go for spring training.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli has a four-pitch mix headlined by a four-seam fastball that averages 96 mph and tops out at 99-100 mph. Velocity has never been a question for the physical righthander, but his fastball has played down dating back to college because of a lack of deception or standout movement or spin. In 2022, Cavalli began relying more on his promising secondaries. His go-to breaking ball is a hard, mid-80s hammer curveball with 12-to-6 shape. He throws the pitch for strikes less frequently than a firm, upper-80s slider, but the curveball is the better swing-and-miss pitch. Both breaking pitches flash plus. Cavalli worked hard to improve a firm, upper-80s changeup, and his ability to consistently command that pitch could help keep hitters off his fastball. Cavalli can be a solid strike-thrower, but he'll need to find a solid balance of aggression and precision with how he attacks the strike zone.
  
  The Future: The Nationals will rely on Cavalli to join a rebuilding rotation. If he can get outs in the zone, the organization can say that one piece of the rebuilding puzzle is in place.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: As a 2020 draftee, Cavalli&#39s minor league debut was delayed to 2021, though he did impress at the Nationals&#39 alternate training site in 2020 after being drafted 22nd overall out of Oklahoma. Once on the field this year, the righthander wasted no time making a statement, soaring from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the season. Importantly, after battling injuries in college, Cavalli stayed healthy all season and showed his ability to handle a heavy workload. He led the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli&#39s stuff is electric. Over the summer, rival managers in Double-A Northeast voted his the best fastball and breaking ball in the league. His fastball sits 95-97 mph and has touched as high as 100 using an easy, yet powerful delivery. He throws two distinct breaking balls, a power curveball and a slider that is cutterish at times. The latter is used effectively to get off hitters&#39 barrels. He gets good sink on his changeup, but evaluators are less enthused about that offering. He has a sinker in his arsenal, but it&#39s a distant fifth pitch. Don&#39t be fooled by his big frame, either. Cavalli is a plus athlete who fields his position well. He struggled a bit in his short time at Triple-A, but the organization is working with him to get outs in the zone more often, a necessity against mature hitters.
  
  The Future: The Nationals couldn&#39t have asked for much more out of Cavalli in 2021, and he looks the part of a front-of-the-rotation starter whose arrival will come sooner rather than later.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: As a 2020 draftee, Cavalli’s minor league debut was delayed to 2021, though he did impress at the Nationals’ alternate training site in 2020 after being drafted 22nd overall out of Oklahoma. Once on the field this year, the righthander wasted no time making a statement, soaring from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the season. Importantly, after battling injuries in college, Cavalli stayed healthy all season and showed his ability to handle a heavy workload. He led the minor leagues with 157 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Cavalli’s stuff is electric. Over the summer, rival managers in Double-A Northeast voted his the best fastball and breaking ball in the league. His fastball sits 95-97 mph and has touched as high as 100 using an easy, yet powerful delivery. He throws two distinct breaking balls, a power curveball and a slider that is cutterish at times. The latter is used effectively to get off hitters’ barrels. He gets good sink on his changeup, but evaluators are less enthused about that offering. He has a sinker in his arsenal, but it’s a distant fifth pitch. Don’t be fooled by his big frame, either. Cavalli is a plus athlete who fields his position well. He struggled a bit in his short time at Triple-A, but the organization is working with him to get outs in the zone more often, a necessity against mature hitters.
  
  The Future: The Nationals couldn’t have asked for much more out of Cavalli in 2021, and he looks the part of a middle of the rotation starter whose arrival will come sooner rather than later.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Cavalli lived up to his reputation as a power pitcher as he tore through Double-A Northeast in short order after an early-season promotion from High-A Wilmington. He served as one of the lone attractions on a Harrisburg team that finished 34 games under .500. Opposing managers liked Cavalli’s mix of a high-90s fastball that touches 101 mph, a curveball he uses to get hitters to chase, a changeup and a plus slider but were concerned that he can be a little erratic at times. He issued four or more walks in four of his 11 Double-A outings before a late-August promotion to Triple-A Rochester, where he struggled to replicate his success with the Senators. Several evaluators thought Cavalli might have better command working a few ticks down in his velocity range, and that he struggled most when approaching triple-digits. Most had his ceiling as a No. 1 or 2 starter if hs command progresses. “He’s the kind of guy who’s going to be a leader and dominant personality in the clubhouse,” Harrisburg manager Tripp Keister said. “He’s going to make sure things are done properly and we’re playing the game right. He’s got a great team concept. He’s a special kid. His parents have done a great job with him.”
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Cavalli wasn’t in High-A for long, but he certainly made his presence felt over his seven starts at the level, striking out 71 and walking 12 over 40.2 innings. to go with a 1.77 ERA. He was voted the High-A East’s top pitching prospect by league managers. The 2020 first-rounder from Oklahoma had perhaps the best pro debut of any player in his draft class. He showed off a high-octane fastball that comfortably sat in the upper 90s and touched triple-digits to go with a plus upper-80s slider and a pair of above-average secondaries in his curveball and changeup. Cavalli earned rave reviews for the polish he showed at the level, with one evaluator noting he wouldn’t look out of place in the big leagues right now, and he had no trouble throwing strikes consistently—a concern coming out of college. “His last outing against us was right before he went up to Double-A . . . That day he was 97-100 (mph) and throwing breaking balls for strikes whenever he wanted,” Jersey Shore manager Chris Adamson said. “That was super impressive to see.” Cavalli has all the ingredients needed to be a frontline starter and could sit atop the Nationals’ rotation by the start of the 2023 season.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 55. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: After two seasons in a two-way role for Oklahoma, Cavalli focused on pitching as a junior in 2020. He quickly asserted himself as a first-round talent in a deep class of college pitchers. The former USA Baseball Collegiate National Team member already was a known commodity to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and the entire scouting community. Washington took him 22nd overall and signed him for $3.027 million. Cavalli fit right into a spot in the club's 60-man player pool and impressed the big leaguers with his performance in a simulated game at Nationals Park before the start of the delayed major league season. Cavalli had back issues in high school and a stress reaction in his arm in college, but he was healthy all summer while adjusting to pitching every sixth day instead of once a week. One of his off-the-field interests has helped him get to know teammates better. He estimates he has given more than 500 haircuts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cavalli accurately described himself on draft night as a blend of power and pitchability. His fastball sits in the mid 90s with ease and touches 98 mph. More than just a thrower, he complements his heater with an array of impressive secondaries. His slider is a devastating offering at 87-90 mph with impressive tilt and gets swings and misses against both lefties and righties. His curveball is a hard downer that hitters don't see well, and he can manipulate his changeup to throw it with diving action and either sink or run. He has an efficient delivery and elite makeup. As a former Big 12 Conference first baseman, he has plenty of athleticism and good body control. Cavalli's father Brian was a catcher at Oklahoma and in the Angels' system, so Cade has also seen the game from the other side of the battery. The reason he was still available at No. 22 overall is he got hit more in college than his raw stuff would suggest, in part because he lacks deception and his control can be erratic. The Nationals like the work Cavalli did with coach Skip Johnson and the rest of the Sooners staff, so any tweaks they've made have been minor. Cavalli has a strong work ethic and a desire to not just make the majors but to become a regular all-star.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cavalli logged more than 50 innings combined between the alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va., and instructional league in Florida, so he should be ready to go in 2021. Health and control will dictate how fast he moves through the system.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 55. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: After two seasons in a two-way role for Oklahoma, Cavalli focused on pitching as a junior in 2020. He quickly asserted himself as a first-round talent in a deep class of college pitchers. The former USA Baseball Collegiate National Team member already was a known commodity to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and the entire scouting community. Washington took him 22nd overall and signed him for $3.027 million. Cavalli fit right into a spot in the club’s 60-man player pool and impressed the big leaguers with his performance in a simulated game at Nationals Park before the start of the delayed major league season. Cavalli had back issues in high school and a stress reaction in his arm in college, but he was healthy all summer while adjusting to pitching every sixth day instead of once a week. One of his off-the-field interests has helped him get to know teammates better. He estimates he has given more than 500 haircuts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cavalli accurately described himself on draft night as a blend of power and pitchability. His fastball sits in the mid 90s with ease and touches 98 mph. More than just a thrower, he complements his heater with an array of impressive secondaries. His slider is a devastating offering at 87-90 mph with impressive tilt and gets swings and misses against both lefties and righties. His curveball is a hard downer that hitters don’t see well, and he can manipulate his changeup to throw it with diving action and either sink or run. He has an efficient delivery and elite makeup. As a former Big 12 Conference first baseman, he has plenty of athleticism and good body control. Cavalli’s father Brian was a catcher at Oklahoma and in the Angels’ system, so Cade has also seen the game from the other side of the battery. The reason he was still available at No. 22 overall is he got hit more in college than his raw stuff would suggest, in part because he lacks deception and his control can be erratic. The Nationals like the work Cavalli did with coach Skip Johnson and the rest of the Sooners staff, so any tweaks they’ve made have been minor. Cavalli has a strong work ethic and a desire to not just make the majors but to become a regular all-star.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cavalli logged more than 50 innings combined between the alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va., and instructional league in Florida, so he should be ready to go in 2021. Health and control will dictate how fast he moves through the system.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 55. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: After two seasons in a two-way role for Oklahoma, Cavalli focused on pitching as a junior in 2020. He quickly asserted himself as a first-round talent in a deep class of college pitchers. The former USA Baseball Collegiate National Team member already was a known commodity to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and the entire scouting community. Washington took him 22nd overall and signed him for $3.027 million. Cavalli fit right into a spot in the club’s 60-man player pool and impressed the big leaguers with his performance in a simulated game at Nationals Park before the start of the delayed major league season. Cavalli had back issues in high school and a stress reaction in his arm in college, but he was healthy all summer while adjusting to pitching every sixth day instead of once a week. One of his off-the-field interests has helped him get to know teammates better. He estimates he has given more than 500 haircuts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cavalli accurately described himself on draft night as a blend of power and pitchability. His fastball sits in the mid 90s with ease and touches 98 mph. More than just a thrower, he complements his heater with an array of impressive secondaries. His slider is a devastating offering at 87-90 mph with impressive tilt and gets swings and misses against both lefties and righties. His curveball is a hard downer that hitters don’t see well, and he can manipulate his changeup to throw it with diving action and either sink or run. He has an efficient delivery and elite makeup. As a former Big 12 Conference first baseman, he has plenty of athleticism and good body control. Cavalli’s father Brian was a catcher at Oklahoma and in the Angels’ system, so Cade has also seen the game from the other side of the battery. The reason he was still available at No. 22 overall is he got hit more in college than his raw stuff would suggest, in part because he lacks deception and his control can be erratic. The Nationals like the work Cavalli did with coach Skip Johnson and the rest of the Sooners staff, so any tweaks they’ve made have been minor. Cavalli has a strong work ethic and a desire to not just make the majors but to become a regular all-star.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cavalli logged more than 50 innings combined between the alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va., and instructional league in Florida, so he should be ready to go in 2021. Health and control will dictate how fast he moves through the system.