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[ed. note - “With interest in the Washington Nationals’ farm system at a high level, Federal Baseball has begun a series featuring the top 30 prospects in the system as of late last season, according to Baseball America. We will start with No. 30 and work our way to the top over the next few weeks, with one prospect highlighted each weekday.”]
WASHINGTON – Cade Cavalli was one of the leaders among pitchers in the minor leagues in strikeouts last season.
While his numbers were not awe-inspiring at all levels, he is the top pitching prospect for the Washington Nationals and has a very good chance to make the majors for the first time in 2022.
Cavalli, 23, was 3-1 with an ERA of 1.77 in seven starts with the high Single-A Wilmington Blue Rocks before he was bumped up to Double-A Harrisburg.
With the Senators, he was 3-2, 2.79 in those 11 starts.
Cade Cavalli was our 1st round pick in 2020.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 12, 2021
Yesterday at the @MLB Futures Game, he featured a 100 mph fastball...
...AND a devastating changeup.@CADECAVALLI // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/rFUzWYebhH
“He has really developed so much on the field this year from each start,” Mark Scialabba, the former farm director who was recently promoted, told Federal Baseball last season about the native of Tulsa. “He has certainly been challenged along the way but he has certainly shown the electric stuff that has allowed him to have success and show everyone what he is capable of.”
Cavalli ended the year with Triple-A Rochester and was 1-5, 7.30 in six starts there.
“He is still a work in progress in certain areas,” Scialabba said late in the Triple-A season. “He has to has to continue to command the strike zone and command his off-speed pitches, but he is learning how important it is to get ahead, stay ahead, and believe in his pitches.”
“The emotions were unreal – a flood of emotions,” Cavalli told reporters after he was drafted by Washington.
His goal with the club, he said on the night of the 2020 Draft, was another title after the won it all in 2019.
“Help the organization win a World Series,” Cavalli said.
“I ended up with the best organization out there; I am fired up.”
Cade Cavalli (@CADECAVALLI) met with the media earlier today. He says his work and preparation has allowed him to stay healthy and make all of his starts this season, rising from @WilmBlueRocks to @RocRedWings. His Triple-A debut is Saturday in Syracuse. #Nationals pic.twitter.com/35oJIM7H1A
— Nate Rowan (@njrowan) August 26, 2021